Head Of BMKG: The Impact Of El Nino In 2023 Is More Controlled Than 2015 Or 2019

Illustration of the impact of the El Nino phenomenon in Indonesia. (Between-Mohammad Ayudha)

JAKARTA - Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati admitted that the impact of the El Nino phenomenon in Indonesia in 2023 was more controlled.

"The impact is smaller and more controlled than El Nino in 2015 and 2019," said Dwikorita after a press conference at the Cross-Ministerial Coordination Meeting/Institutions in Jakarta, Monday, October 9, was confiscated by Antara.

He said the El Nino phenomenon had an impact on changing rainfall patterns, increasing air temperature, and a tendency to increase hotspots in areas prone to forest and land fires.

"Regarding forest and land fires, we are ready to wet peatlands from February to today the government has carried out TMC (weather modification technology) which focuses on land that is predicted to catch fire, although some are still burned due to the influence of human hands," he said.

He said weting peatlands needs to be done so that groundwater levels are not lacking which in turn can trigger forest and land fires.

Dwikorita also said that the implementation of TMC was not only to wet peatlands, but also to make air quality around hot spots not getting worse.

"We see that the deteriorating air quality is correlated with the hotspots, but the most important thing is how to prevent it so that air quality is also restored. So TMC targets not only to anticipate forest and land fires but also to restore air quality," said Dwikorita.

He predicts El Nino will last until early 2024. However, the impact will decrease when it begins to enter the rainy season period.

"During the rainy season, El Nino's influence is not as swift as it is today. It is hoped that according to the prediction of this long dry season ending in October and starting the transition in November," he explained.

On the same occasion, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD ensured that there were no shipments of smoke to neighboring countries due to forest and land fires.

"There were no shipments of smoke as conveyed by several parties or as happened every year in the past. Now there is no more," said Coordinating Minister Mahfud MD.

He said standby forest and land fires will continue to be carried out by the central, provincial and district governments, especially in areas where hotspots are widely distributed by conducting integrated patrols, including the National Police, related agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the private sector by continuing to monitor hotspots.

"land operations will be prioritized and maximized, because our aircraft air operations are limited," he said.

He added that the TMC operation also continues to be carried out under the coordination of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), as well as carrying out water bombing efforts and so on.*