Climate Change Crisis Increasingly Real, IPB University Lecturer Outlines the Role of Climatology Science
The impact of the climate change crisis is increasingly felt. Facing this challenge, climatology is crucial in understanding and mitigating its impact.
According to Dr Putu Santikayasa, a lecturer in the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology at IPB University, climatology plays an important role in monitoring and predicting climate change.
The researcher at IPB University’s Center for Climate Risk and Opportunity Management (CCROM) also said that climatology also helps in data collection, data analysis, and future climate projections.
“Climatology science plays a role in the process of climate monitoring, analysis, models, and projections, thus helping the public and policy makers to understand the risks and take the necessary steps for mitigation and adaptation to climate change,” explained Dr Putu.
Obviously, climate change impacts water resources and disasters. “Climate change triggers changes in the amount and pattern of rainfall, which can increase the potential for hydrometeorological disasters, especially floods, which have an impact on infrastructure and social and economic conditions in the community,” he said.
Climate change also has an impact on the incidence of drought. An increase in temperature that can trigger an increase in evapotranspiration can affect the availability of water in an area. Drought can reduce river discharge, affecting the availability of water for irrigation, domestic, and industrial needs. Reduced discharge also increases the concentration of pollutants, reducing the quality of available water.
“In the health sector, temperature changes, especially an increase in temperature, also trigger an extension of the growing season for allergen-producing plants, such as pollen, which can affect respiratory health. In addition, an increase in temperature can increase Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 levels in the air which have an impact on health and trigger acute respiratory infections (ARI),” he added.
In addition, he continued, increasing temperatures are also able to increase the potential or hotspots in an area which in the dry season triggers forest fires and has an impact on air quality, thus affecting health.
In dealing with climate change, Dr Putu suggested increasing public awareness, encouraging collaboration between various disciplines, and developing new technologies that can help mitigate climate change.
“We also encourage the development of new technologies that can help mitigate climate change. Through the use of renewable energy, for example. And of course, increasing research related to climate change issues to get innovative solutions to face the challenges of climate change in the future,” he said. (dh) (IAAS/RMH)
