We need to be vigilant against the potential of El Nino that may occur in Indonesia. Apart from causing drought, lack of rainfall will also increase the number of hotspots…Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - The provincial government of East Java is taking anticipatory measures against drought in view of the El Nino phenomenon, or the above-normal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean.
"We need to be vigilant against the potential of El Nino that may occur in Indonesia. Apart from causing drought, lack of rainfall will also increase the number of hotspots, making it (Indonesian regions) prone to forest and land fires," East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said in a statement issued here on Thursday.
Earlier, in 2015, El Nino affected Indonesia's economy by triggering a drought on 597 thousand hectares of paddy fields in the country.
Parawansa expressed the hope that the impact of El Nino can be anticipated jointly and comprehensively, including by forming disaster-resilient villages.
In East Java, there are 7,724 villages spread across 38 districts and cities.
She highlighted the importance of cooperation among all strategic parties for realizing disaster-resilient villages to curb the risks of disasters.
"Of course, it needs massive dissemination of information, education, and training related to disaster preparedness," she added.
On April 26 every year, the National Disaster Preparedness Day (HKBN) is commemorated in Indonesia. This year's HKBN was themed “Improving Villages' Resilience, Reducing Disaster Risks.”
In line with the theme, Parawansa noted that resilience related to disaster preparedness needs to be built starting from the lowest levels.
To this end, the governor has instructed each Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in every district and city of East Java to provide education and disseminate information by targeting people residing in disaster-prone areas.
Dissemination of information, education, and training need to be carried out as frequently as possible, especially since East Java lies on the Ring of Fire.
"If these activities are carried out routinely, when a disaster occurs, we will be more ready and can act quickly," Parawansa explained.
In addition, she expressed the hope that a culture of disaster resilience can be instilled in the community.
"This will impact the reduction of disaster risks. Thus, realizing disaster-resilience culture in the community becomes important," she said.
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Translator: Abdul H, Hanif N, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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