President Jokowi Tells Ministers to Take Immediate Measures to Tackle Drought

President Jokowi talks with a number of ministers and a presidential spokesperson on the sidelines of a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/9) (Photo by: JAY/Public Relation Division)

Although the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the drought this year is not as severe as that in 2015 when El Nino hit, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that several regions have not seen rains for 60 consecutive days (or 2 months) and several areas in Java Island have even experienced the peak of the dry season. BMKG also reported that rainy season in several regions are expected to begin at the end of November or October this year.

In response to this, President Jokowi instructed all related ministries and institutions as well as regional governments to seriously monitor condition on the ground and to immediately take measures to tackle the drought.

“The short term is, do ensure assistance in the form of clean water dropping for people who are affected by the drought,” the President said in his briefing during a limited cabinet meeting on the measures to tackle drought held at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/9).

President Jokowi also told related ministries and institutions to check water supply for farming irrigation for that is much needed, especially to irrigate paddy fields in affected areas.

In the past two years, the President added, the Government has built many dams, reservoirs, and embankments in villages to anticipate drought and the President hopes that those can help ease the effects of the drought.

President Jokowi also called on anticipatory measures to ensure supply of food commodities in several regions to prevent scarcity and to maintain stability of their prices. “Once again, I hope that we will not be careless to prevent and anticipate forest and land fires, especially in peat lands just like what happened in 2015,” the President concluded.

The limited cabinet meeting was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman, Minister of the Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Health Nila F. Moeloek, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (BPN) Sofyan Djalil, Governor of West Java Ahmad Heryawan, Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo, Governor of East Java Soekarwo, and Governor of Banten Wahidin Halim. (FID/SM/JAY/ES) (EP/YM/Naster)