Jakarta—Nuzul Hijri Darlan, a researcher at the Palm Oil Research Center (PPKS), said that climate change can affect the growth cycle of palm oil, which is highly dependent on environmental stability. According to him, adaptation and mitigation are important steps that must be taken to maintain productivity amid increasingly uncertain climate conditions.
“Oil palm plants that are well-prepared, such as through water management, the use of superior seeds, and proper soil treatment, will be more resistant to diseases and climate change,” Nuzul said in a webinar titled Climate Change and Oil Palm Productivity, Thursday, November 28.
Nuzul explained that adaptation can be done in various ways, including environmentally friendly cultivation techniques, income diversification, and monitoring of climate conditions. “Climate monitoring and analysis should be a priority so that risks can be identified early on,” he added.
On the other hand, mitigation includes reducing carbon and methane emissions, conserving biodiversity, and utilising renewable energy. According to Nuzul, collaboration between industry players, the government, and the community is also needed to create policies supporting this sector’s emission reduction.
Researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Heri Budi Wibowo, said that besides adaptation and mitigation measures, technology is also an innovative solution to climate change. For example, weather modification can help maintain palm oil productivity, especially amid the threat of a long dry season.
“The right weather modification strategy, such as adjusting cloud sources, cloud potential, and wind, can increase water reserves in oil palm plantations while preventing fires. In this way, losses due to weather changes can be minimised,” Heri explained. (Hartatik)
