Jakarta, Indonesia – The climate decade has begun, marked by floods in Jakarta and surrounding areas in Indonesia which colours the turn of the year towards 2020.
According to the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the flood was caused by the highest daily rainfall since 1996, and the highest annual rainfall since 1856. At least 60 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of others have been displaced.
The flooding is also bound to result in huge economic losses, especially for those who are already facing challenges within the agricultural sector.
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–>“We are deeply sorry for the victims. Not only to the victims of the floods that just happened, but also farmers who experienced crop failures this year due to the dry season which was longer than usual. In all these scenarios, it is always the poor and the marginalised that are hit the hardest,” lamented Sisilia Nurmala Dewi, Team Leader for 350.org in Indonesia.
“This should be a reminder of the importance of climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts which need to be an important agenda for Indonesia’s development. All citizens can play a role in demanding policies and governance that are aware of climate risks and actively take action to prevent climate crisis. Disincentives to the coal industry that contributes significantly to the climate catastrophe must be enforced while economic incentives for renewable energy need to be boosted. This is a form of development that protects people from environmental disasters.”
These forecasted figures in terms of losses and victims are anticipated to rise, considering the extreme weather forecast in the form of heavy rain accompanied by lightning and gale-force winds, and will continue until mid-January. The frequency of extreme weather conditions will also continue to increase with rising global temperatures.