NationThailand-Jan 29, 2023
Experts warn that dams in both Indonesia and the Philippines, crucial for irrigation, drinking water and electricity generation, may face increased strain as climate change brings unpredictable and high-precipitation weather patterns. Budi Santoso Wignyosukarto, a hydraulic engineering expert at Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, said that Indonesia had been accustomed to heavy rain, however, climate change would cause the weather to become less predictable, which would also affect dams. Budi emphasized the need for Indonesia to be prepared for these uncertainties, as the country is already facing challenges such as rapid population growth that lead to land use changes, as more people need more food, shelter and industry, which all affect the climate. He said that Indonesia needed to be more flexible and adaptable to climate change by improving its resilience. “Building this resilience can be done through building infrastructure that can absorb [extreme] rainfall well, such as reservoirs coupled with dams whose capacities have been optimized,” Budi said. There were 228 dams operating in Indonesia as of 2022, an increase from the previous year’s 205 dams. The Philippines is also home to dams mainly used for irrigation and energy generation. The Philippines Biodiversity Management Bureau recorded 39 water storage areas or dams in the country. Nine of these are major dams that are closely monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the country’s meteorological agency, particularly during typhoons. Additional dams are expected to become operational soon as a result of the administration of then-president Rodrigo Duterte’s massive infrastructure program. Many of these projects are funded by official development assistance from China. While supporters of dam construction argue that the facilities will address water and energy issues in the Philippines, critics assert that dams have negative impacts on the environment and indigenous communities near the sites and are vulnerable to typhoons made worse by climate change. Read more at: https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/world/asean/40024436
