I remind all governors, district heads, and mayors across Indonesia of the importance of conducting mitigation efforts early.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, through his statement here on Friday, has instructed all governors, district heads, and mayors to promptly conduct disaster mitigation on account of the emergence of natural disasters in several regions.

"I remind all governors, district heads, and mayors across Indonesia of the importance of conducting mitigation efforts early," he noted.

The vice president drew attention to several natural disasters that struck, such as flash floods in Batu, East Java, as well as floods in Sintang, West Kalimantan, and in Jakarta.

One of the causes of these disasters is the heavy rainfall in several regions in Indonesia in recent times, he explained.

"In general, we know that rainy season is experienced every October. However, this year, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned us since the start that we will (receive) far heavier rainfall from November 2021 to January 2022," he pointed out.

Currently, a temperature shift is occurring in the Pacific Ocean caused by global warming, Amin noted.

According to the BMKG, one of the temperature shift anomalies is the lowering of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, also known as La Niña.

La Niña will have an impact in terms of increasing the rainfall in Indonesia, from 20 to 70 percent beyond normal, which triggers hydrometeorological disasters, such as floods, landslides, and tropical storms.

Related news: BNPB to expedite strategies to handle La Nina-related disasters

"The hydrometeorological disasters became even worse due to environmental destruction in the river's upstream areas and along the river's body," Amin pointed out.

Hence, in order to mitigate this disaster, Amin requested all regional governments to edify the people regarding disaster mitigation efforts in several regions.

He also urged regional governments to coordinate with ministerial and non-ministerial government institutions at the central level to conduct disaster mitigation.

In addition, he implored the regional government and people to exercise greater vigil against the impact of climate change and weather conditions in several regions in Indonesia.

Related news: Tagana personnel receive training on analyzing disasters
Related news: Mitigation must be strengthened to face disasters: minister

Translator: Fransiska N, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021