Heat waves across Asia stoke health concerns, food security fears

Food crisis warning

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has warned his country will face heat waves and drought over the next four months, potentially leading to a food crisis.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has estimated that the heat wave and dry season will run from July to October, bringing a high possibility of drought, Xinhua reported. "This must be anticipated," Widodo said on a visit to Bapeang village, Central Kalimantan province, on June 26.

Widodo expressed concern that the dry season caused by the heat wave could reduce agricultural productivity, noting that this issue is not unique to Indonesia but affects many countries globally. The situation could worsen as other countries experiencing long droughts, and heat waves might also see their rice production decline. These countries might then prioritize their domestic consumption over exports, Widodo added.

Data from Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture indicated that a food crisis can cause 7 to 16 percent of the population to experience hunger. With the country's population projected to reach 281.6 million in 2024, it is estimated that around 19.7 to 45 million people could be at risk of hunger.

"Currently, Indonesia is vulnerable to a hunger crisis. We have to boost our food production, especially rice, in the next three months," Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman said on June 25.

The Indonesian government is preparing to distribute 20,000 water pumps throughout the country to ensure water availability in rain-fed lands that dry up due to the heat wave. Widodo said the program could be increased to 70,000 and the number of yearly crop plantings increased.

The BMKG said last month Indonesia had faced unusually high temperatures in the April-June period this year, despite unexpected heavy rains in some areas. However, the extreme heat hitting the archipelago is not the same as heat waves hitting its neighbors due to Indonesia being located on the equator and enclosed by oceans, the agency said.

Areas starting to experience drought in June included southern Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Bali, southern Sulawesi and southern Papua. Southern Sumatra, Java Island and southern Sulawesi are the country's major rice producing centers.