BMKG Suggests Save Water as El Nino Phenomenon Impacts

VIVA – The indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) urges people to save water to anticipate the impact of the El Nino phenomenon which is predicted to happen in July until the end of 2023.

BMKG Region I Medan forecaster Aryo Prasetyo in Medan said, to handle the El Nino phenomenon, people must prepare sufficient water reserves such as maximizing reservoirs, ponds, and others. 

The El Nino phenomenon is expected to have an impact on long droughts or dry season in the Indonesian region. For this condition, people must save water usage and maximize water reserves.

"For the North Sumatra region, it may not have much impact, only the southern and eastern parts of North Sumatra. Drought does not occur immediately, but gradually and continues until the end of the year," Prasetyo said on Saturday. 

He explained that the El Nino phenomenon is influenced by sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean Dipole which is influenced by temperatures in the Indian Ocean, both of which happen simultaneously in the dry season this year. 

It is predicted that this second semester could have an impact on reduced rainfall in several parts of Indonesia during this dry season period. 

In fact, some parts of Indonesia are predicted to experience below-normal rainfall or drier-than-normal conditions.

Looking at the drought phenomenon in 2019, BMKG said it was caused by the IOD phenomenon which strengthened in a positive direction. 

However, in this year's dry season, there are two phenomena El Nino and IOD that must be anticipated because they strengthen each other. 

Meanwhile, the North Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) formed a forest and land fire and drought task force to anticipate climate change, the impact of El Nino, and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). 

"We from BPBD North Sumatra have coordinated with districts or cities to form a task force to anticipate forest and land fires during the dry season such as El Nino and Indian Ocean Dipole," said the Head of BPBD North Sumatra, Tuahtha Saragih. 

His party is at the forefront in anticipating forest and land fires, the impact of the El Nino and IOD phenomena that will hit Indonesia, including North Sumatra. 

"El Nino is included in hydrometeorological disasters, for the provincial level from the previous year, BPBD is the coordinator for handling forest and land fires. We continue to remind and invite other stakeholders to always be aware of the threat of forest and land fires," Saragih explained. 

As reported from the BMKG website, El Nino is a phenomenon of warming sea surface temperatures above normal conditions that occur in the central Pacific Ocean. 

This warming of sea surface temperatures increases the potential for cloud growth in the central Pacific Ocean and reduces rainfall in the Indonesian region. In short, El Nino triggers drought conditions for Indonesia in general.