Happy Water Day and World Meteorological Day …
We often hear about climate change from various print and
online mass media as well as social media, but it doesn't seem to have become
an agenda that is considered important for some people. The issue of climate
change is still a global elite issue. Although some people in the world realize
that the various events that occur in their daily lives are related to climate
change with various variations, the steps to combat this problem still seem
cloudy. The impact caused by climate change may already be known to many,
especially urban residents because information can be obtained from existing
gadgets. Three things that must be known and will be very likely to experience
change and are vulnerable to disturbances in the present and future are water,
energy and food issues.
Various disasters that occur in various parts of the world
including Indonesia are often considered to be caused by climate change.
Hydrometeorological disasters as part of natural disasters such as cyclones,
tropical storms, tropical cyclones, floods, flash floods, droughts and
landslides triggered by heavy rains often take property and lives. All of that
can be seen from various news sources in the past until recently. Information
about natural disasters every day adorns the mass media and social media. Of
course everyone does not want to experience it but very few of the community
are involved in saving the environment and other preventive measures. Only when
natural disasters occur do people rush to take curative actions.
Floods such as those that have occurred recently, whether on
the island of Java or outside Java Indonesia, where the water has not receded
for several weeks, for example in Sintang, West Kalimantan some time ago, are
clear evidence of the effects of climate change. An increase in rainfall to
more than 120 millimeters per day will cause the soil to not have time to
absorb large amounts of water. The heavy rain will trigger the formation of
water flow on the ground (runoff) which then enters the river flow.
Unfortunately the drainage channel is not running well and the capacity of the
river is not commensurate with the incoming water flow. The latter is
exacerbated by erosion upstream of the river and the habit of people throwing
all kinds of garbage into the river. The occurrence of cold lava floods on the
slopes of Mount Semeru, East Java due to heavy rains on the peaks and slopes,
seems to be also influenced by this climate change. In this case, what is
influenced by climate change is the rainfall factor. Human activities that
account for more than 95% of climate change will be reduced if people's
awareness of the environment increases. Small to large steps on various scales
of space and time have to be instilled more and more since childhood or early
age. The education sector is a good and accurate key for efforts to increase
this awareness, for example through teachers or lecturers and students. Human
activities that account for more than 95% of climate change will be reduced if
people's awareness of the environment increases. Small to large steps on
various scales of space and time have to be instilled more and more since
childhood or early age. The education sector is a good and accurate key for
efforts to increase this awareness, for example through teachers or lecturers
and students. Human activities that account for more than 95% of climate change
will be reduced if people's awareness of the environment increases. Small to
large steps on various scales of space and time have to be instilled more and
more since childhood or early age. The education sector is a good and accurate
key for efforts to increase this awareness, for example through teachers or lecturers
and students.
Landslides which are also common following flooding during
the rainy season (Asian monsoon) which are exacerbated by La Nina events in the
Pacific Ocean and negative Dipole Mode in the Indian Ocean can actually also be
reduced. A number of steps can be taken, for example one of them is
strengthening the soil structure by planting trees. The slopes of hills and
mountains should also be strengthened by planting trees with deep roots such as
pine trees, teak, and various types of horticultural trees. This is so that
apart from the stems and twigs that can be used for wood, it can also increase
the nutritional security of the community. River borders must also be
strengthened and niches or reservoirs and dams that exist in areas higher than
rivers/hills/mountains are also treated to prevent flash floods.
At this time, La Nina is predicted to be at a moderate level
by NMME so that for the Indonesian region it causes the rainy season to progress
and lasts longer. This must also be anticipated through water management so
that excess water in the rainy season can be stored to fill groundwater or
reservoirs and the dry season does not dry out. The steps taken by the
government, such as building reservoirs, are a step forward in securing water
availability for various purposes.
The availability of water can also be good energy if it is
used from micro-hydro electricity to large-scale hydroelectric power plants.
Energy security can be done in this way and developing new renewable energy
such as solar and wind energy. We should be grateful that our region is close
to the equator so that the length of the day is about 10-12 hours throughout
the year. Day length is the time from sunrise to sunset. This causes solar
energy can be easily obtained throughout the year. Unfortunately, to install
until it can be used by the wider community, it still requires technological
revolution. For now, it still requires high costs where only certain people can
or want to invest to get this free energy. You can imagine how in the future
far more people will enjoy this free energy compared to those who use
hydroelectric power as it is today. If the solar energy storage battery can
have a large capacity, then even this will make energy security even more
powerful. In fact, even this we can do if it is supported by the right
regulations so that the investment of thoughts, energy and high technology,
low-cost capital is not wasted and is overtaken by the human resources of other
countries. If the solar energy storage battery can have a large capacity, then
even this will make energy security even more powerful. In fact, even this we
can do if it is supported by the right regulations so that the investment of
thoughts, energy and high technology, low-cost capital is not wasted and is
overtaken by the human resources of other countries. If the solar energy
storage battery can have a large capacity, then even this will make energy
security even more powerful. In fact, even this we can do if it is supported by
the right regulations so that the investment of thoughts, energy and high
technology, low-cost capital is not wasted and is overtaken by the human
resources of other countries.
Energy can also be used for agricultural cultivation
activities. So far, agricultural mechanization has not reached and is evenly
distributed in remote rural areas. Smart farming still feels like a dream for
traditional farmers, whose numbers are very, very much more than tie farmers or
those who are technology literate. The use of agricultural infrastructure based
on IoT (internet of things) is still felt as a technology belonging to
millennials or young people. This transformation of knowledge and technology in
smart farming must be carried out from now on considering the number of
Indonesian farmers from year to year is decreasing and is dominated by those
aged 47 years and over. This can be a serious threat to the problem of food
security in the country.
The quality of human resources will increase, as will their
life expectancy if food and nutrition problems can be improved. Hopefully with
the increasing attention of the government, the business world, communities,
universities and the mass media on water, energy and food security, this will
make our beloved country progress and become a world superpower. If this can be
accelerated, the impact of climate change on the lives of Indonesian people
will be minimized, especially if it is carried out in mutual cooperation and
together with other countries around the world.
