The Jakarta Post 30 Mar 09;
Any potential drought in Indonesia this year would most likely occur due to environmental damage rather than a prolonged or extreme dry season, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said Sunday.
“This year will not see any extremities in the dry season, besides a rather early start,” agency head of the climatology division Soetamto told The Jakarta Post.
“Environmental damage, such as deforestation, will most likely be the culprit for any drought cases that may hit the country.”
According to the agency’s report, in some areas the country’s dry season will begin as early as late March or early April. This is premature when compared to the average season commencement times between 1971 and 2000.
“However, the country displays a wide variety of climates, so certain areas will enter the dry season earlier than others,” Soetamto said.
The areas most likely to enter the dry season early will be Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi.
For those five areas, Soetamto said, the dry season would most likely reach its peak in August.
“Some areas will experience longer periods of dry weather than others. In East Nusa Tenggara, for example, the hot weather could extend for up to eight months, while some areas in Sumatra will likely experience less than a month of the season,” he said.
The country had been through several severe droughts. In 1997, droughts triggered a national food crisis that forced the government to import five million tons of rice. Five years later, another drought led to the failure of more than 500,000 hectares of crops.
“Environmental damage, especially deforestation, will most likely be the cause of any drought or water crisis that may occur,” Soetamto said. In Jakarta, for example, water shortages normally occur when there has not been adequate rain for around a four-month period.
“However, nowadays just two months of dryness can cause the city to scream for water.”
Hydrologist and water resources engineer from the Public Works Ministry Agung Bagiawan Ibrahim said after a seminar on climate change earlier this week that the country’s water supply was being threatened by deforestation, especially along riverbanks.
“Deforestation along riverbanks decreases the crucial impact of water catchments, causing water crises,” Agung said.
In Java the water supply is traditionally scarcer in the eastern parts of the island compared to the west.
“The authorities responsible for managing riverbank areas must take necessary steps, such as replanting trees, to ensure better water management systems in the future,” Agung said. (dis)
Areas likely to start the dry season prematurely
West Java
Northwestern Karawang
Northern coast of Karawang/Subang/
Indramayu
Central Java
Southern Blora
Eastern Karanganyar
Southern Bojonegoro
East Java
Central part of Magetan
Madiun,
Eastern Ngawi
Eastern Pasuruan,
Northeastern Jember,
Bali
Southwestern Buleleng
Western Jembrana,
Eastern Karangasem
Lombok
Southeastern Central Lombok,
Southern East Lombok
Eastern Nusa Tenggara
Northern Ende
Northwestern East Flores
Northern Sikka
Eastern Alor.
