BMKG: El Nino Phenomenon Threat Crop Failure Due to Drought

Jakarta, MINA – The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned of the threat of crop failure due to drought on rain-fed agricultural land, forest and land fires (karhutla) caused by the positive El Nino and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phenomena.

“Agricultural land is at risk of experiencing puso alias crop failure due to a lack of water supply during the plant growth phase,” said BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati in a press release on Saturday, according to a statement received by MINA.

Dwikorita explained, El Nino and Positive IOD reinforce each other so that this year’s dry season will be dry and rainfall will be in the low to very low category. Rainfall is predicted to be once a month or no rain at all.

According to him, the drought situation has the potential to disrupt national food security.

“The local government needs to take immediate mitigation and preparedness actions,” said Dwikorita.

He explained, meanwhile in the fisheries sector, changes in sea temperature and current patterns during El Nino and positive IOD that cool down usually actually have the potential to increase fish catches.

“Opportunities from this condition must be utilized because it can support national food security,” said Dwikorita.

He explained, it is predicted that El Nino will occur in August to early September 2023. The conditions will be much drier than the previous year, namely in 2020, 2021 and 2022. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)