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Experts warn of contagious outbreaks, health problems as El Niño returns
Experts warned of the increasing risk of contagious disease outbreaks and other health problems in Indonesia as the hotter El Niño climate phenomenon emerged in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years.
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Children walk through a parched rice field on June 25, 2023, in Pajukukang village, Maros regency, South Sulawesi. Some rice farmers in the region have abandoned their crop after a drought hit the area. (Antara/Arnas Padda)
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xperts warned of the increasing risk of contagious disease outbreaks and other health problems in Indonesia as the El Niño climate phenomenon emerges in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years.
El Niño, marked by an increase in surface water temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, is linked to extreme weather conditions from tropical cyclones and heavy rainfall to severe droughts.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasts that the phenomenon will peak from this month until September in Indonesia, with most regions expected to face a longer and more severe dry season compared to the previous three years. The BMKG has said that the country should prepare for potential droughts, hot spots and wildfires due to hotter weather and lower precipitation.
Epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said El Niño might lead to an increased risk of vector-borne diseases, including dengue fever and malaria.
"Warmer temperatures facilitate the increase in hatching and reproduction rates of mosquitoes, raising the risk for mosquito-borne diseases," Dicky said on Friday.
Similar cases have been reported in other countries as global temperatures rise because of the combined effect of the naturally occurring El Niño weather phenomenon and human-induced climate change. This combined effect, according to the United Nations, would make the global temperature from 2023 to 2027 the warmest on record.
Read also: Govt prepares for El Niño’s economic impact
