Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 09/02/2009 1:12 PM
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) is expected to provide more accurate weather forecasts, in an effort to mitigate natural disasters, following the passing of a new meterology law.
The high expectation was expressed by legislators when the House of Representatives unanimously endorsed the bill on the National Agency of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics in their plenary meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The bill requires that all researchers in state and private agencies and education institutes must present their research to the state agency before they distribute information and weather forecasts to the public.
BMKG chairwoman, Sri Woro Harijono, said the law was expected to help prevent the public from receiving contradictory weather and climate forecasts.
"Using different models or parameters will produce different results. If all similar agencies or institutions release contrasting forecasts to the public, it will be confusing to the public," Sri told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Article 72 regulates of the law stipulates that the BMKG is obliged to conduct tests on the results of research related to meteorology, climatology and geophysics issues.
It also stipulates that forecast results can only be published after agencies receive written approval from the BMKG.
Failing to do so, the agency will be prohibited from reporting weather forecasts.
All factions at the House approved the first-ever bill on the BMKG that has been deliberated since June 2008.
Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal, who represented the government in the plenary meeting concurred and said the law was also aimed at providing quality forecasts in the country, particularly due to the uncertain weather conditions caused by global warming.
The law also regulates the need for the government to conduct mitigation efforts to tackle the effects of climate change in Indonesia.
Indonesia is believed to be prone to the severe impacts of climate change that has lead to rising sea levels and water scarcity.
Many farmers in the country have suffered financial losses due to the incorrect forecasting of weather phenomena.
Article 9 stipulates that meteorologic observation includes solar radiation, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, air humidity, rain, tidal waves and the surface temperature of the sea.
Observation on climatology will include climate conditions and air quality, which will be measured by the level of pollutants in the air.
It will also measure the level of greenhouse gas emissions including carbon dioxide, methane and hydro- fluorocarbons.
Greenhouse gas emissions are a major cause of climate change as they trap heat and cause temperatures to rise globally.
Indonesia has been dubbed as the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouses gases due to its high rate of deforestation.
The new law also requires that the observation of geophysics will include assessing the possibility of tsunamis.
