JAKARTA – Maritime and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has asked all stakeholders to be prepared to take all necessary efforts to mitigate the impacts of El Nino phenomenon which is predicted to hit Indonesia again in August 2023.

Minister Luhut said that drawing on Indonesia’s experiences in 2015, El Nino is potential to cause extensive drought, forest and land fires (Karhutla), which will cause the decrease of agricultural and plantations products—including palm oil, and mining products and trigger inflation.

“I ask all stakeholders, including all ministries, government institutions and regional governments to get ready to take all necessary steps to ensure that bad experiences eight years ago will not recur. We’re prepared the technology of weather modification in dealing with the El Nino,” he said through his Instagram @luhut.pandjaitan in Jakarta on Wednesday, 26 April 2023.

Luhut said that recently a number of regions have seen very high temperatures.

The Global Meteorology Organization Secretary General said that the phenomenon of La Nina that brought wetter weather during the last three consecutive years had finally ended. It will be replaced and reversed by El Nino, which will bring high temperature and cause drought.

Based on collected data, the sea temperature has reached the record level since 2016. This is not to mention the heat wave that has pushed up highest temperatures in Asia until recently.

“Based on temperature simulation, the EL Nino is predicted to occur in August 2023 although the uncertainty of its severity is still very high,” he was quoted by Antara as saying.

According to Luhut, The El Nino is potential to cause inflation, as the food products have a big contribution to the total national inflation. (*)

Source: sawitku.id