Be aware of water, energy and food issues from now on

 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.

 

Ibu Kota Negara

 Masih relevankah membangun IKN di Kalimantan Timur?? Kalimantan Timur memang selama ini tidak mengalami kebakaran hutan, kalaupun ada dalam skala kecil dan mengingat pada saat karhutla angin tenggara yang berperan dominan maka masyarakat Kalimantan Timur tidak mengalami masalah kesehatan dan kerugian lain. Ini mengingat asap bergerak menuju barat laut sampai utara ketika musim kemarau yang kering atau kekeringan yang diakibatkan berbagai fenomena seperti monsoon tenggara, El Nino dan El Nino modoki. Dari sisi angin memang relatif aman dari bahaya asap. Dari perspektif air, dengar dengar masih ada masalah. Ini tentu terkait juga dengan vegetasi yang tumbuh di sana, selain faktor tanah yang kebanyakan tanah gambut dan batubara. Jika mampu mengolah air sungai atau payau di sana menjadi air tawar, maka masalah ini masih bisa ditangani meski untuk itu barangkali membutuhkan teknologi tinggi desalinisasi air payau. Selain tentu saja vegetasi dan pepohonan tropis yang mampu menghadirkan sumber-sumber air minum sehingga harus ada konservasi tanah dan air. Pembangunan infrastruktur yang tentu saja akan menyebabkan banyak lahan hutan yang dikonversi menjadi pusat-pusat aktivitas manusia seperti pemukiman, industri, perkantoran dll harus diganti dengan luas lahan vegetasi yang lebih dari yang ditebangi. Ini setidaknya diperkirakan akan memperbaiki siklus hidrologi di kawasan IKN tersebut. Masalah energi sebenarnya bisa dilakukan dengan memanfaatkan energi baru terbarukan yang hijau, artinya yang tidak sampai dampaknya merusak lingkungan. Bisa berwujud energi angin, air, dan radiasi matahari. Meskipun angin tampaknya kecil mengingat kecepatan angin di wilayah IKN kecil namun bila untuk skala mikro pemukiman (Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Angin Mikro) tampaknya tidak mengalami masalah. Dinamika air sungai dan laut bisa pula dimanfaatkan untuk pembangkit listrik. Potensi lain adalah energi surya yang karena berada dekat wilayah ekuator maka sangat melimpah. Dengan demikian untuk masalah energi bila benar-benar diberdayakan maka mungkin akan cukup melimpah. 

Faktor pangan bisa tercukupi mengingat propinsi Kalimantan Tengah diproyeksikan menjadi lumbung pangan nasional dan bisa mensuplai IKN. Bila saja food estate tersebut berhasil maka masalah pangan yang dipengaruhi oleh perubahan iklim global akan bisa direduksi. Jika permasalahan pangan, energi dan air ini bisa ditangani dengan sebaik-baiknya maka dampak perubahan iklim tidak akan begitu dirasakan oleh bangsa Indonesia. 

Meskipun hal yang disampaikan di atas adalah dalam sudut pandang positif/optimis namun jangan pula dikesampingkan pandangan-pandangan pesimis yang mungkin juga berkembang mengingat lokasi IKN (akan) sangat mempengaruhi hajat hidup orang banyak, bangsa dan rakyat Indonesia tercinta.