January Peak Month of Natural Disasters: BNPB

Jakarta (Antara) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said, based on observation to national disaster pattern, Indonesia has the most frequent natural disaster to occur in January following the high intensity rains during the month. "January is the peak of the disaster occurrence. More than 90 percent of hazards in Indonesia are hydrometeorological ones such as floods, landslides, whirlwinds, droughts, extreme weather and forest and wild fires," Head of Data and Information Center of BNPB Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on a written statement here Sunday. Nugroho said Hydrometeorogical disasters has a positive correlation with the rain intensity pattern. "Most of regions in Indonesia has the highest rain intensity in January. From December until March, rain intensity is high that there will be more floods, landslides and whirlwinds occur during the months," he said. BNPB recorded Indonesia averagely experiences 1,295 natural hazards per year. (*)