RI Enters The Peak Of Drought, Prepares Mitigation And Anticipate Drought Disasters

Photo by Nicolas Hourdayer on Unsplash

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, asked the Government and various relevant agencies to anticipate the impact of the dry season which has begun to enter its peak. He also reminded the importance of mitigating drought that often occurs during the dry season.

"Anticipation of drought must be done considering that at this time we have entered the peak of the dry season. The government needs to map areas prone to drought and immediately address problems," said Puan, Thursday, August 1.

To note, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued early warnings regarding the potential for extreme drought in Central Java and East Java. In addition, a number of areas that also experience drought include in West Java, Aceh, South Sumatra, and Banten.

Based on the analysis, the majority of Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara have experienced Rainless Days (HTH) for 21-30 days or more. Puan said the government must be prepared to face various problems that arise due to the drought problem.

"Especially for areas experiencing extreme drought where the drought problem is expected to occur until the end of September," said the first woman to serve as Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives.

Puan also highlighted a number of areas that have set emergency drought status such as West Java and Aceh Besar. Then nearly 70% of Central Java and East Java areas are also in a drought emergency alert status, including Solo City which plans to increase its status.

"The government needs to make various preparations and anticipatory actions to minimize the bad effects of drought," said Puan.

Puan reminded the importance of increasing the frequency and capacity of clean water to areas affected by drought so that the distribution of clean water for residents can be distributed immediately.

"It is also important to pay attention to the impact of drought in the agricultural sector because lack of water can affect farm production. Make sure the reservoir for irrigation is sufficient during the dry season," explained the former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture.

Furthermore, Puan also asked the Government to anticipate forest and land fires in areas that often experience forest and land fires such as in the Kalimantan and Sumatra regions. He emphasized the importance of the synergy between related agencies.

Karhutla is rampant when the dry season comes. The government must increase supervision and tighten patrols. Also prepare supporting facilities and infrastructure to extinguish the fire," explained Puan.

Bung Karno's grandson underlined the ongoing mitigation efforts that must be made considering that Indonesia as a tropical area has many potential disasters. For drought mitigation, Puan encourages the Government to strengthen water supply infrastructure for residents.

"Give education to the public for efforts that can be done during drought. Including socialization of the anticipation of forest and land fires," he explained.

With comprehensive and collaborative steps, Puan hopes that the bad effects of drought can be suppressed as much as possible.

"And the government must be responsive to the needs of the community. Provide assistance to residents affected by drought," concluded Puan.