The NTT Provincial Government Is Starting To Anticipate Extreme Drought Triggering Forest And Forestry And Starvation

The East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government has set an emergency alert status for handling drought and forest and land fires after the 2023 Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency's increased risk of drought.

The status of the emergency alert for handling drought and forest and land fires in NTT is stipulated in the Decree of the Governor of East Nusa Tenggara Number 172/Kep/HK/2023 signed by the Deputy Governor of NTT Josef Nae Soi was obtained in Kupang, Wednesday.

Josef Nae Soi said in a letter determining the emergency alert status of the drought disaster, it was stated that the forecast for the 2023 dry season in 28 Season Zones (ZOM) in East Nusa Tenggara showed that the province had entered the normal lower dry season or was drier than usual.

"This condition is predicted to increase the risk of meteorological drought, forest and land fires that can disrupt people's lives and livelihoods," he said.

He said that in anticipating the impact of drought, efforts to handle emergency alerts need to facilitate faster, more precise and integrated access, coordination and communication in order to prepare all available resources for the central government, local governments, the community, and the business world so as to minimize or eliminate the impact of disasters that will occur.

The emergency alert status of drought and forest and land fires in the island-based province lasts until October 2023.

The NTT Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) reminded local people to be aware of forest and land fires during the dry season accompanied by strong winds.

"During this dry season, it is very prone to fires, so it is necessary to anticipate early by the people of NTT not to clear land by burning because it is difficult to control, if there is a fire in a strong wind condition like this," said Head of BPBD NTT Ambrosius Kodo.

He said that in conditions of strong winds like what is currently happening in NTT Province, this makes it easy for forest and land fires to occur if people are not careful.

The NTT Provincial Government has formed a task force for handling forest and land fires to coordinate with district/city governments in an effort to prevent the fire.

The forest and land fires handling task force requires the support of district and city governments to form a similar task force in the regions so that various efforts made by the government to prevent forest and land fires in the regions can be more effective.