Indonesia beefs up measures to face extreme weather

Dina Indrasafitri in the Jakarta Post: Extreme weather conditions, which might last until February, have prompted the government to heighten anticipation measures in several sectors as well as in regions across the archipelago.

On Monday, ministers, including Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono and Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, as well as officials from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the National Climate Change Council (DNPI), gathered in Jakarta for a coordinating meeting to anticipate extreme weather and climate. Also present at the meeting were Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta and Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan. Extreme weather includes tornadoes, high waves and more frequent heavy rains that lead to more floods, according to the BMKG.

Agung said the extreme climate would require adaptation in several sectors, such as the agricultural and forestry sectors. “More specific data is needed, the data from each regency namely. For instance, when will the rain in regency A begin,” he said.

The information will help to take adaptive measures, such as the right time to plant, because extreme weather until February might lead to food vulnerability, Agung added.

“Anticipative actions are also needed in terms of adaptation, especially in the transportation sector,” he said, warning about possible floods and high waves in several regions. “What’s important is the information. Once a region is known to suffer from food shortages, aid can be carried out immediately.”…

Clouds drape the summit of Gunung Klabat, an isolated symmetrical stratovolcano that rises to 1995 m near the eastern tip of the northern arm of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, shot by S. Wikartadipura (Volcanological Survey of Indonesia), Wikimedia Commons