Prabowo Reviews Disaster Plans as El Nino Hits Earlier Than Expected

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto held a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 28, to discuss preparations for potential extreme weather linked to the El Nino phenomenon and strengthen disaster mitigation efforts.The meeting was attended by several ministers and heads of government agencies, including officials responsible for forestry, agriculture, infrastructure, research, and weather monitoring.Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the government is preparing for the potential impacts of El Nino, a climate phenomenon marked by warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that can reduce rainfall in Indonesia.Raja Juli said El Nino was initially expected to return in 2027 based on its historical cycle."El Nino usually occurs every four years. It happened in 2015, then in 2019 and 2023. It should have occurred again next year, in 2027," he told reporters at the Presidential Palace.However, he said forecasts from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) indicate that El Nino could arrive earlier, in 2026.Concerns Over Forest Fires and DroughtOne of the government's main concerns is the increased risk of forest and land fires during prolonged dry conditions caused by El Nino.Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said authorities must ensure that potential fire hotspots are controlled and peatlands remain properly hydrated to reduce the risk of large-scale fires."We must ensure that fire hotspots can be controlled effectively, and peatlands must remain wet," Agus said.He added that his ministry would coordinate with BMKG on measures to address potential extreme weather events and forest fires, including possible weather modification operations.Agriculture Sector Prepares for ImpactAgriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said the government is also preparing for possible drought-related impacts on agricultural production.He acknowledged that limited crop failures could occur in some areas but said the situation would not affect national food supplies."There may be small failures, but they will not affect the national food stock," Amran said.He added that the government has prepared several mitigation measures, including maintaining sufficient food reserves and installing 100,000 water pumps across various regions to support agricultural areas facing water shortages.The meeting was also attended by BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fathani, National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Chief Air Marshal Mohammad Syafii, and National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Head Arif Satria.Read: Malaysia Warns El Nino Could Drive Up Electricity DemandClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News