Jakarta Collaborates With BMKG To Modify Weather To Prevent Rain At The End Of 2024

Illustration. Weather Modification Technology Operation (TMC) at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta on January 3, 2020. (Between)

JAKARTA - The Provincial Government (Pemprov) of Jakarta together with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) will carry out weather engineering until the end of 2024 to anticipate the potential for rainfall which is predicted to be high at the end of the year.

"The weather engineering that we will do for the middle to the end of the year, is currently being explored, we will discuss with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), of course with the BMKG also related to the use of Unexpected Expenditure Funds (BTT) for weather engineering," said Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Teguh Setyabudi in Central Jakarta, Friday, December 6, confiscated by Antara.

Because it uses unexpected costs, he continued, his party must make a statement of emergency status. For this reason, he and his staff will still coordinate on weather engineering.

"But because we use BTT funds, we must have a statement of emergency status. Now we are exploring it and we are coordinating it," said Teguh.

Teguh said that his party will also prepare the right infrastructure to anticipate flooding in Jakarta. For flood mitigation readiness, Teguh also revealed that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has conducted a disaster preparedness rally and ensures that all flood management devices can work optimally.

"But if the rain also takes for example 10 days really participates, the soil conditions will be bored. This will also slow down the flow. This is what we must also anticipate. But in terms of existing infrastructure, we have done an inspection to anticipate the rainy season. God willing, from the infrastructure side it is ready," explained Teguh.

Then when the disaster occurred, Teguh said various related OPDs (Regional Apparatus Organizations), BPBD, Social Service, Health Service, Satpol PP, Transportation Service, Binamarga Service, and so on had also been prepared. Because to deal with this, collaboration is needed.

Previously, the Head of BMKG Dwikorita Karnawati warned about the worst-case scenario of major flooding in 2020 in Jakarta. BPBD DKI Jakarta revealed steps to anticipate hydrometeorological disasters.

Head of the Data and Information Management Unit of the DKI Jakarta BPBD, Kristian Gottam Sihombing, said that this year's flood management had a number of differences compared to the previous year.

He said the DKI BPBD together with related agencies had increased the capacity of water pumps and expanded the drainage network in flood-prone areas.

"In addition, the latest data-based weather monitoring technology (real-time) is used to increase accurate speed and early detection," said Gottam.

He said the Jakarta Provincial Government also continues to revitalize rivers, dredge waterways, and increase pump capacity to strengthen flood control infrastructure. In addition, BPBD educates the public about disaster preparedness, evacuation simulations, and emergency response training.