Indonesia's Extreme Weather (Drought)

Disaster Risks in Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is among the nations with the highest disaster risk in the world and ranks second behind Bangladesh on a global scale. This risk is driven by the country's high exposure to a range of geophysical and hydro-meteorological hazards.  Disasters caused by environmental hazards are becoming increasingly costly and severe in Indonesia.  The country's vulnerability to disasters is attributed to its unique geographic characteristics as an archipelago of about 17,500 islands with over 81,000 km of coastline that stretches along the equator.  The country's islands are home to an extremely varied geography, topography, and climate.

Figure 1:  Proportion of disasters in Indonesia (1998-2018). Source Disaster database & information BNPB

Drought In Indonesia

The pie chart above represents the proportion of disasters that have hit Indonesia in the past two decades.  Though flooding remains to be the number one weather related disaster due to excessive rainfall that have plagued Indonesia annually, the occurrence of drought is also quite notable in certain regions of the country.  Drought conditions account for 8.2% of the disasters that Indonesians experienced from 1998-2018.

Based on BMKG’s (Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika Indonesia) data, since July 31, 2022, there were indications of meteorological drought and heavy rainfall in several districts in Indonesia. Despite the ongoing La Nina phenomenon, BMKG reported that 73% of Indonesia’s territory has entered the dry season. Meteorological drought can cause a reduction of water supplies for agricultural and household needs. From the observation of consecutive days without rain and low chance of rain (<20mm/day), drought is expected to continue in several districts within the provinces of Jawa Tengah, Yogyakarta, Jawa Timur, Bali, Nusa Tenggara Barat and Nusa Tenggara Timur. As of July 31, several districts including Lombok Timur (Nusa Tenggara Barat) Kupang and Rotendau (Nusa Tenggara Timur) did not experience rain for at least 31 consecutive days, while Sabu Raijua and Sumba Timur in Nusa Tenggara Timur did not experience rain for at least 61 consecutive days.

        

Figure 2:  Meteorological Drought Map (as of August 2022). Source Disaster database & information BNPB

Indonesia holds 6% of the world's water potential - fresh water that can be used directly for daily human needs.  Despite this, 85% of the country is in drought, according to government authorities. Java, its most populous island, has reached a "crisis" point, and water deficits are expected until at least 2070.

Consequences of Drought in Indonesia

Drought often refers to a natural phenomenon of reduced water availability.  But urban drought is also heavily influenced by human activity.  As population growth continue to increase, the need for and use of water creates an imbalance in water supply and demand.  This continued growth in urban areas especially in the megacity of Jakarta poses a grave threat in the availability of water for residential and commercial purposes.  Lack of water can cause disruptions in productions of businesses that can lead to adverse economic repercussions.  Sanitation and health problems may arise among residents because of water shortage.

Food security is also a growing concern because of the drier than normal conditions during summer months in Indonesia.  Indonesia's rice crop is at risk of damage from an unusually long dry weather spell that has gripped several producing regions, raising the prospects of elevated imports.  The dry weather has parched paddy fields across Java island, the main growing region, and the agriculture ministry sees the harvest failing.

While there may be no impact from the drought on other agricultural products such as palm oil and rubber, Indonesia's weather agency has warned of forest fires developing in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the country's main growing regions of these commodities.

Figure 3:  Paddy Disturbances by Droughts (April-May 2022). Source Disaster database & information BNPB

Figure 4: Parched Ricefield in Java Island, Indonesia

Link to Video of Drought Stricken Indonesian Fields

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvy2cT7MX0M

Drought Mitigation Efforts in Indonesia

Building resilience to the drought situation in Indonesia requires a collaborative approach from the government, the academia, the private sector, community groups, and the media. Some mitigation efforts implemented in Indonesia are:

• Providing reliable infrastructures to meet water needs which includes storage, distribution, and access for users
• Budget allocation for ensuring clean water supply
• Implementation of legal policies related to water resources management such as regulations on water use, damage control, water conservation, and quality standards
• Education of residents on water conservation
• Universities and the private sector contribute by sharing innovative studies, technology, and mentoring 
• Local media play a vital role in sharing effective water management practices that can be replicated at home
• Community participation and public awareness of water saving to address urban drought problems
• Household rainwater harvesting that boosts low government reservoirs 
• Urban communities use of rainwater collection ponds, infiltration wells in yards, or biopore holes that can reduce runoff, fertilize soils, and prevent flooding
• Use of drought resistant seedlings and crop varieties
• Effective and efficient irrigation practices in agricultural areas

References::

https://360info.org/building-resilience-in-indonesias-drought-ridden-island-of-java/

https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000141858/download/

https://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---31378.htm

https://tenor.com/view/parched-dry-land-drought-world-water-day-breakthrough-gif-20897913