"Mitigation efforts must be conducted to minimize the potential impact of the very dry season," the expert stated here on Tuesday.
Such efforts must be conducted although this year’s dry season is wetter than normal, according to BMKG’s forecast.
"BMKG’s predictions show that the dry season in 2021 is wetter than the normal average and in most areas. Although the dry season is also expected to be delayed as compared to the normal year, mitigation efforts must still be conducted," he remarked.
Related news: Four districts in SE Sulawesi experience days without rain: BMKG
Yanto also stressed that mitigation efforts must be followed by the application of a plethora of climate change adaptation strategies.
"Mitigation alone is not sufficient. Hence, such efforts should be followed by several strategies for climate change adaptation, which can be implemented by increasing the water storage capacity by using reservoirs, dams, ponds, embung, infiltration wells, biopores, or with rain harvesters," he stated.
Moreover, it is necessary to boost the efficiency of water management and modification of land use by revegetating empty land with productive plants, such as fruit and vegetable crops, and implementing a water-efficient irrigation system.
"With climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, such efforts are expected to play a strategic role in thwarting the impacts of drought," he pointed out.
Related news: East Java districts experience extreme drought
The expert further noted that climate change mitigation efforts to lower the impacts of drought should also be directed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Some steps deemed necessary for lowering its impact are through the more judicious utilization of energy, renewable energy creation, development of low-energy buildings, water conservation, forestry, and so on. (INE)
Related news: Indonesia braces for extreme dry season amid COVID-19
Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Katriana
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
