3 Months Without Rain, 18 Regions In Indonesia Experience Drought And Worst In NTT

Illustration of drought (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said a number of areas in East Java Province, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara had started experiencing extreme drought after almost three months of not having rained.

BMKG Deputy for Climatology Ardhasena Sopaheliwakan said 18 districts/cities and dozens of sub-districts in the three provinces experienced drought due to lack of rain in the extreme category.

The BMKG assesses that all cross-sectoral parties at the central and regional levels must take careful mitigation and control steps in order to reduce the impact on the community.

Extreme drought can have implications for potential crop failure or changes in the planting period, decreasing the availability of clean water, to increasing the potential for forest and land fires in NTB, NTT, East Java.

Therefore, BMKG hopes that mitigation and countermeasures efforts need to be improved, especially in a number of these sectors, at least until September which is predicted to be the end of this year's dry season.

"Including the potential for public health disturbances, one of which is the spread of dengue fever, it also needs to be considered because dry season can increase the frequency of mosquito bites," Ardhasena was quoted as saying by ANTARA, Wednesday, July 24.

The BMKG Climatology expert team reported that until Saturday (20/7) there were at least five districts and cities in NTT Province that experienced extreme drought due to not having rained for a long time, since the end of May 2024.

The five regencies and cities in NTT, Kupang City (Kepang City District, Raja, Alak, Maulafa, Kota Lama, Oebobo, Kelapa Lima for 92 days without rain), Belu Regency (South Atambua District for 91 days), East Sumba (Pandawa, Kahaungu Eti for 89 days without rain), Sabu Raijua (West Sabu, Hawu Mahera for 76 days), and Kupang (Sulamu for 64 days).

For NTB Province, three districts and cities include East Lombok (Sambelia District for 88 days without rain), Bima (Belo, Palibelo for 85 days), and Dompu (Pajo for 85 days).

Drought hit 10 districts and cities in East Java Province including Probolinggo City (Kademangan District, Leces, Munyang for 90 days), Probolinggo (Gending, Source, Sumberasi, Kraksaan, Pajarakan for 90 days), Jember (Gumuk Mas for 87 days), Kediri (Ngadiluwih, Kras for 87 days).

Pasuruan Regency (Gondang Wetan, Pohjentrek for 86 days), Situbondo (Kapongan, Mangaran for 86 days), Banyuwangi (Persawaran, Bajulmati, Alas Buluh for 85 days), Blitar (Kanigoto, Wonodadi, Udanawu, Sanakulon, Serengat for 85 days), Mojokerto (Tromilulan for 85 days), and Tulungagung (Kalidawir, Karang Rejo, Rejotan for 85 days).

Dry season has also started to hit 45 percent of the Indonesian season zone until mid-July 2024, covering parts of Aceh, parts of North Sumatra, parts of Riau, parts of Bengkulu, parts of Jambi, parts of South Sumatra, parts of Lampung, parts of Banten, parts of South Kalimantan, parts of Central Sulawesi and South Sulawesi, parts of Southeast Sulawesi, and parts of South Papua.