More dams needed to combat drought, but govt can't help

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 08/07/2007 12:48 PM

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto warned Monday people living in areas without dammed river water would suffer during this year's dry season.

And he said the government was powerless to help them.

""Because some rivers carry no water, there's not much we can do,"" he told detik.com news portal.

After visiting the major Jatiluhur dam in West Java, Djoko said the government planned to build a new dam in Cimanuk, Jatigede, in West Java.

But he said people living in areas with dam supplies should use their water sparingly during the dry season.

""If people can take turns in utilizing water from the dams ... (there will be less of an issue),"" Djoko said.

Particularly arid conditions, such as those evident in Indramayu regency in West Java, were harder to overcome without dammed river water.

Climatology division head with the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG), Sutamto, told The Jakarta Post this year's dry season would affect Indonesia for a while.

""The dry season has arrived early in several areas,"" Sutamto said.

It started in East Nusa Tenggara about two months ago, and East Java about six weeks ago.

""But there is still no indication we will be getting a prolonged dry season -- and it is still too early to predict the year's wet season.""

He said rain would come from the western part of Indonesia ""and then we will be able to tell what the season will bring"".

Climatologist from the Bandung Institute of Technology Zadrach L. Dupe told the Post that because of La Nia, which is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, the rainy season would arrive in October, which was earlier than usual.

Zadrach said drought was threatening several areas across the archipelago, especially its eastern regions.

Eastern Indonesia receives a shorter rainy season compared to the west, but overall Zadrach said, ""there was less rainfall (recorded) in Indonesia during the last wet season"".

""And many areas in the country have lost their natural ability to retain water.""

Much rain should have been absorbed by the land, but because of the arid conditions, water went straight to the rivers and eventually out to sea, he said.

""And the water supply below the ground is nonabundant.

""So, during this year's dry season, many rivers we expected to supply water to the dams have dried up.""

Typically, Indonesia's dry season starts in June and goes through to August.

A transition period lasts from September through to November, before the wet season starts in December and runs through to February.

Drought could trigger the growth of several diseases, including dengue fever, avian influenza and other endemic diseases.

People in critical drought areas should start reforestation programs and build more wells to save rainwater, Zadrach said.

""They should start these programs now, during the dry season because the result will not be instant.

""People will have to wait about 10 years before they will start seeing ample water supplies from the ground.

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