News Focus: RI BRACING FOR DROUGHT AND OTHER EL NINO RELATED IMPACTS.

By Andi Abdussalam Jakarta, July 16 (ANTARA) - Haze, which is the omen of the arrival of annual drought, has once again begun to disturb people's activities in Sumatra and Kalimantan and has even threatened neighboring countries. Haze produced by forest and plantation fires in Riau province has the potential of drifting to neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned. The problem of haze in Indonesia is only one of the impacts that follow during the annual dry spell, much less if it is coupled with the rage of El Nino. El Nino, a climate phenomenon with a significant influence on global weather, ocean conditions and marine fisheries, is predicted to hit the Asian region, including Indonesia, later this year or early in 2010. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists announced the arrival of El Nino last week. "Advanced climate science allows us to alert industries, governments and emergency managers about the weather conditions E Nino may bring so these can be factored into decision-making and ultimately protect life, property and the economy,' Jane Lubchenco, NOAA administrator, said in its Website. With regard to, the Indonesian government is taking anticipatory steps in the face of the El Nino, the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters, which occurs on the average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months. In making its anticipatory efforts, the Indonesian government even realizes that it would need a lot of funds that could even increase its budget deficit to 1.7 percent of its national gross product. "The government anticipatory efforts to face the threat of possible El Nino-triggered drought might expand state budget deficit from about 1.5 percent to 1.7 percent," Minister for National Development Plan/Head of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), Paskah Suzetta said on Thursday. He said that El Nino with a prolonged drought was expected to hit the Asian region and Australia later this year and until next 2010. "We have to refer to our experience in 1997 when we were forced to import 5 million rice," he added. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has issued last March a presidential decree on the handling of water resources in the face of drought and the possible arrival of El Nino in 2010. Suzetta himself attended a coordination meeting the government held to discuss the handling of water resources and possible El Nino-triggered drought. "An Ad Hoc committee has been established to discuss various polices with regard to water resources and river basin as well as river flow areas," ...