Yogyakarta – A hundred fishermen and disaster management officers in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region, received education on climate change knowledge. They attended the Fishermen’s Weather Field School organised by the Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Ponijo, a senior fisherman who usually goes to sea in the southern waters of Yogyakarta, admitted that he no longer understands the erratic and extreme weather conditions even though he has been a fisherman for two decades.
“In the past, the most we faced at sea was the whirlwind or the wind circling in the sea and not reaching the land. But now it is more terrible, it happens more often than before,” he said during the Fishermen’s Weather Field School (SLCN) at Pantai Baru, Srandakan.
Meanwhile, BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati explained that the phenomenon experienced by fishermen is one of the impacts of climate change. Not only fishermen, the phenomenon is even experienced by the entire population of the world.
“The phenomenon of climate change is really real faced by everyone. That is why SLCN is organised for the safety of our fishermen and also to increase fishing production,” Dwikorita explained.
She said that climate change also changes the weather patterns that have been occurring. One was when the Cempaka cyclone hit the southern coast of Java in 2017. In theory, this vortex should not be able to penetrate the land considering Indonesia is on the equator.
There are 100 participants in the Yogyakarta Fishermen’s Weather Field School 2023, including fishermen in the Bantul area, Bantul Maritime and Fisheries Service, Fishermen’s Safety and Security Facility (Sarlinmas) Regional Office 4, Directorate of Water and Air Police (Ditpolairud) Yogyakarta, Bantul Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Kulonprogo BPBD, and Lanal Post.
This activity is an ongoing programme that aims to provide fishermen with a better understanding of maritime weather and information technology that can be used to obtain the latest weather information. Through this activity, fishermen can learn about BMKG’s maritime weather information products in the form of weather maps containing wave height and sea current speed, as well as a hands-on introduction to BMKG’s maritime weather equipment. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Fishermen and disaster management officers in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, attend the Fishermen’s Weather Field School organised by the Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). (Source: BMKG)
