... Java, Sulawesi, Lampung, Bali, and East Nusa Tenggara. Based on the monitoring map, these regions have been experiencing drought triggered by El Nino since May...Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo led a limited cabinet meeting here on Friday to discuss measures to face drought and forest fires caused by the El Nino phenomenon.
The government has paid serious attention to the impacts of El Nino, Jokowi said during the meeting held at the Presidential Office in Jakarta today.
The meeting was attended by Vice President M Jusuf Kalla, Chief of the Indonesian Defense Forces General Gatot Nurmantyo, Chief of the National Police General Badrodin Haiti, and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Indroyono Soesilo.
Also Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Sofyan Jalil, Forestry and Environmental Affairs Minister Siti Nurbaya, and Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, among others.
The government predicted that the El Nino phenomenon will strengthen from August to December this year and trigger drought in a number of regions.
"Drought has begun to hit Java, Sulawesi, Lampung, Bali, and East Nusa Tenggara. Based on the monitoring map, these regions have been experiencing drought triggered by El Nino since May," Jokowi remarked.
Moreover, the government must safeguard the livelihood of farmers and fishermen and prevent forest and plantation fires from occurring due to El Nino.
According to Nurbaya, the number of hotspots detected across the country dropped this year to only 48 percent of those seen last year.
However, in certain regions, the number of hotspots jumped considerably, she added.
These hotspots were caused by drought, which led dried bushes to catch fire. "For instance, in Garut (West Java), weeds dried up in an open ecotourism region," she stated.
Nurbaya further noted that the highest number of hotspots was found in Riau province, Sumatra, and West Kalimantan province on Kalimantan Island.
The minister pointed out that during her recent trip to West Kalimantan, the provincial police chief had informed her that some people were interrogated for their alleged involvement in setting fires in a forest area.
The government predicted that the El Nino phenomenon will strengthen from August to December this year and trigger drought in a number of regions.
"Drought has begun to hit Java, Sulawesi, Lampung, Bali, and East Nusa Tenggara. Based on the monitoring map, these regions have been experiencing drought triggered by El Nino since May," Jokowi remarked.
Moreover, the government must safeguard the livelihood of farmers and fishermen and prevent forest and plantation fires from occurring due to El Nino.
According to Nurbaya, the number of hotspots detected across the country dropped this year to only 48 percent of those seen last year.
However, in certain regions, the number of hotspots jumped considerably, she added.
These hotspots were caused by drought, which led dried bushes to catch fire. "For instance, in Garut (West Java), weeds dried up in an open ecotourism region," she stated.
Nurbaya further noted that the highest number of hotspots was found in Riau province, Sumatra, and West Kalimantan province on Kalimantan Island.
The minister pointed out that during her recent trip to West Kalimantan, the provincial police chief had informed her that some people were interrogated for their alleged involvement in setting fires in a forest area.
Editor: Ade P Marboen
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