BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fathani here on Wednesday noted the impact of the drought can be utilized to boost the productivity of salt ponds and the capture fisheries sector.
"The dry season still holds economic opportunities in the downstream sector, such as increasing salt pond production and optimising fish catches due to the upwelling phenomenon," Fathani remarked during a press conference.
Besides benefiting national salt production due to minimal rainfall, the dry climate characteristic can also triggers an upwelling phenomenon, or the rise of nutrient-rich seawater to the surface, significantly increasing fishermen's catches.
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Furthermore, efforts to capitalise on economic opportunities during the extended dry season can also focus on the agricultural sector by boosting horticultural productivity in regions with sufficient irrigation infrastructure.
Despite the potential economic gains for downstream industries, Fathani warned the latest climate projection points to a 62 percent probability of a strong El Nino and a 98 percent probability of a moderate El Nino beginning in the middle of this year.
This global climate phenomenon is projected to cause accumulated rainfall in 482 seasonal zones (Zom), covering 56.18 percent of Indonesia's land area, to be below normal, or much drier than usual.
This year’s dry season is also predicted to last longer than usual across 437 seasonal zones, covering 48.77 per cent of the land area, with the peak of the drought expected to occur in August in 369 seasonal zones.
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The dry season is projected to develop gradually, beginning in 198 seasonal zones in June, before expanding to an additional 66 seasonal zones in July.
Fathoni explained such condition demands more responsive risk management from local governments, particularly in securing public utility supplies, such as dam water capacity for hydroelectric power plants (PLTA).
Furthermore, mitigation efforts should also focus on the environmental sector by putting in place rapid response measures to address worsening air quality leading to a rise in acute respiratory infection cases.
For the disaster and forestry sectors, the BMKG has requested strengthening preparedness commands at the local level to prevent wildfire during the peak of the dry season.
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Translator: M. Riezko Bima, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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