"Climate change has become an issue to which attention must be paid because this has a greater impact and poses risks for the continuity of living beings and future generations," she stated at the commemoration of the 73rd World Meteorology Day, accessed here on Monday.
The event was held at the Kototabang Global Atmosphere Watch, West Sumatra.
The agency head called on people to conduct more extensive climate control measures.
The climate change issue grows ever more concerning, and the issue could cause greater risks, she stressed.
The apparent impacts include hotter temperatures, disruption in the hydrology cycle, and several hydrometeorological disasters in many parts of the world, Karnawati pointed out.
She noted that people can start combating these through simple actions, such as throwing trash in the right places; following the reduce, reuse, recycle concept; planting trees; walking, riding a bicycle, or using public transport to travel; and saving energy.
"Trash, in particular, has a big impact because it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions in the form of methane emission (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Thus, despite seemingly being a small gesture, it is a great measure in suppressing the rate of climate change," she elaborated.
Throughout the observation period from 1981 to 2020, the agency recorded that 2016 was the hottest year for Indonesia, with deviation scoring at 0.8 degrees Celsius.
This situation was caused due to global warming exacerbated by the El Nino phenomenon, she stated.
Climate change has caused more extreme incidents, such as drought and flood, Karnawati remarked.
She noted that the interval between the incidents was earlier 50 to 100 years, though now, it has grown more frequent, and the duration of each incident has become longer.
"Real example in Indonesia is the Seroja tropical cyclone that caused flooding and landslides in East Nusa Tenggara last April 2021. This cyclone is supposedly rare in tropical places like Indonesia. However, in the last 10 years, the tropical cyclone has grown more frequent," she noted.
The most recent one is the landslide in Natuna that killed several locals, Karnawati further remarked.
"If this situation persists, then Indonesia will be frequently hit by extreme weather incidents as well as disasters that not only caused material damage but also claimed lives," she concluded.
Related news: Climate change triggering greater concerns than pandemic, war: Jokowi
Related news: Minister urges local governments to collaborate in reducing emissions
Related news: Need to optimize water resources to mitigate drought: BMKG
Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
