El Nino Phenomenon Can Be An Obstacle To Stunting Prevention Program

People from Agandugume District and Lambewi District in Puncak Regency, Central Papua, experience starvation due to drought from May to July 2023. (Humas Kemensos)

El Nino phenomenon is taking attention around the world, including Indonesia. The threat of drought that causes crop failure is in sight, as has happened in Central Papua Regency. El Nino's storm is becoming more and more terrible because it is said to be able to damage Indonesia's efforts to reduce stunting.

Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati has warned about the threat of crop failure on rainsheds due to the positive El Nino and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phenomenon that has resulted in drought. According to him, this situation has the potential to disrupt national food security.

Regional governments need to carry out mitigation actions and immediate preparedness. Farming land risks experiencing puso aka crop failure due to lack of water supply during the plant growth phase," said Dwikorita, quoted from the official BMKG website.

Reported by BMKG, the peak of this dry dry dry dry season is predicted to occur from August to early September. The condition will be much drier than the last three years of dryness.

As the spearhead of agriculture, Dwikorita revealed that farmers must have knowledge to be able to understand weather and climate phenomena and their changes. In addition, he also emphasized that BMKG will strive to help farmers understand climate change in the hope that farmers and extension workers can take advantage of information and weather forecasts well and be able to adapt to the current situation and climate.

"By knowing earlier, farmers can make plans starting from adjusting their planting time, using superior varieties that are drought resistant, water management, and better off," said Dwikorita at the opening of the Climate Lapang School (SLI) for the Commodities of Oranges at the Bringin Village Hall, Bayan District, Purworejo Regency, quoted from the BMKG website.

It is believed that El Nino's events will have a broad impact on life, including the emergence of various diseases, drought, changes in temperature, forest fires, and crop failure. Without ignoring other impacts, the last negative impact of the current occurrence of El Nino is quite disturbing for residents. How not, when the availability of food is limited even though demand is high, it could threaten food security.

However, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo said he would prepare the use of drought-resistant food varieties and Plant Disturbing Organisms (OPT) to anticipate the impact of the El Nino phenomenon. The first is by preparing a buffer farm of approximately 500 hectares in various regions. In addition, Syahrul Yasin Limpo also said that his party will make adjustments to food plant varieties that are more drought-resistant in order to prevent crop failure.

"Currently we are concentrating on making adjustments to drought-resistant plant varieties such as rice varieties that will be developed," said Syahrul, quoted by Antara.

The pattern of consumption in Indonesia, which is very dominated by rice, also increases anxiety about the threat of crop failure. In fact, excessive dependence on one type of commodity is very dangerous. It is no longer a secret that rice is a staple food for almost all people in Indonesia.

The problem is, when the weather on earth rises due to El Nino which can lead to crop failure, what will happen to people who depend on their stomach only on rice? In the midst of the threat of crop failure that farmers in Indonesia may experience, one thing that needs to be encouraged to anticipate this is food diversification.

Food diversification is an effort to encourage the public to vary the staple foods consumed so that they do not only focus on one type. However, according to Uli Arta Siagian as Manager of the National Forest Campaign and WALHI Gardens, food diversification must meet several requirements.

"When it fails to harvest, it is certain that food availability is threatened. The story of crop failure is actually the impact of the climate crisis. This year, El Nino is predicted to last for a long time until 2024, even called Super El Nino because it is worse than before," said Uli Arta Siagian when talking to VOI.

Gagal panen juga muncul karena adanya generalisasi pangan, misalnya adalah beras. Padahal di banyak wilayah di Indonesia, konsumsi makanan utama beragam, tidak hanya beras. contohnya adalah di Papua ada sweet potatoes, sago, dan lainnya yang jumlah ratusan.

"Food diversification can be done to anticipate crop failure, but it must pay attention to two things, namely the traditional way of the community and the types of local plants planted. Because it's useless if the actors are handed over to corporations or the types are common without seeing what food is being developed," continued Uli Arta.

'Food diversification is actually not new. The word diversification arises from the academy space, but actually in many areas, in their villages they do the same. They have other types of food grown on their own land, they just have to take the food they grow, for example vegetables. That's what they do or what we call food sovereignty," he said.

When crop failure threatens Indonesia, one of the most affected is the problem of fulfilling children's nutrition. As is known, nutrition in the first 1000 days of children is very important to prevent stunting or failure to grow. Stunting itself occurs because children experience chronic malnutrition, so the main characteristics are that children look shorter and thinner than children of the same age.

The Indonesian government continues to make various efforts to reduce stunting rates in recent years. In January, the Ministry of Health announced the results of the Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) at the BKKBN National Working Meeting, stating that stunting prevalence in Indonesia fell from 24.4 percent in 2021 to 21.6 percent in 2022. But this figure is still above the World Health Organization (WHO) standard regarding stunting prevalence which must be at less than 20 percent.

That's why on that occasion, the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo is targeting stunting pre-emptiveness to be 14 percent by 2024.

"So the 14% target is not a difficult target, only whether we want it or not. As long as we can consolidate everything and don't get the wrong way of providing nutrition," said Jokowi, quoted by the Ministry of Health's official website.

With the El Nino phenomenon that threatens drought to crop failure that hit Indonesia, it will certainly affect the government's efforts to reduce stunting due to reduced availability of foodstuffs to meet child nutrition. Doctor Johannes Ridwan, Sp.A, FPPS, DAA said stunting can actually occur since the baby is in the womb, if the mother does not meet nutritional needs during pregnancy.

Stunting can occur from the womb, breastfeeding, to the provision of additional food. So, stunting can occur when in the stomach, for example, the pregnant woman is malnourished so that when her child is born she has a lack of weight," said dr. Johannes Ridwan, Sp. A, FPPS. DAA told VOI.

"Or when breastfeeding, when a baby only consumes breast milk, even though the breastfeeding method is not appropriate, the milk intake for a baby is not optimal. Stunting can also occur when a baby starts entering the stage of breast milk companion food or MPASI. If MPASI's intake is not in accordance with balanced nutrition, it can also stunt. "

Stunting or failure to grow is not a phenomenon that can be tolerated because it can threaten the health of children. Children who are stunted will experience a series of problems in the future. In addition to having a shorter height than others, stunting children are also at risk of having diabetes and cancer, productivity decreases to the ability to absorb poor lessons.

When crop failure occurs, causing scarcity of food and tailing at high prices for needs, Johannes suggested that parents be smart in looking for alternatives so that the child's nutritional needs remain met.

Regarding crop failure, the problem of stunting can actually be overcome by eating alternative foods. To meet unnecessary nutrition, it can be replaced with tempeh protein or tofu that is also good for health," Johannes added.

Stunting has a bad impact on children, when there is a lack of protein, the child's body is thinner than others. In addition, stunting also affects children's brain intelligence.

Children are future assets that will later become an important part of building the nation. That's why the government must cooperate with related elements in order to minimize the threat of crop failure due to the El Nino phenomenon so that food availability for children is met.