The sad news was conveyed by the Head of the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati, who revealed that the only eternal snow that Indonesia has, namely the Glacier in Carstensz Pyramid is predicted to disappear in 2025.

According to his written statement, he said, if the current situation continues, the temperature rise across all the main islands in Indonesia could reach 4 degrees Celsius in 2100, four times compared to pre-industrial times. As a result of this increase in temperature, he added, the Carstensz Pyramid in West Papua which in 2020 has an ice thickness of 31.49 meters, in 2025 it is estimated that the ice will completely disappear.

Dwikorita reminded the government to immediately take comprehensive and measurable mitigation steps to reduce the rate of climate change. Dwikorita said the increase in temperature would trigger more frequent extreme weather and climate anomalies. The intensity is also getting stronger with a long duration. This condition, said Dwikorita, will certainly result in losses for Indonesia. Not only material, such as infrastructure, but also casualties.

Hydrometeorological disasters in Indonesia are increasing and becoming disasters with the largest percentage, namely 95 percent. During 2021, disasters reached 5,402 cases which incidentally are the impact of global climate change. Globally, the WMO Report on disaster statistics for the past 50 years shows that more than 11,000 disasters were related to weather, climate and water-related hazards between 1970 and 2019, nearly one per day. There are 2 million deaths – or 115 per day. The number of disasters has increased fivefold in the last 50 years, and the economic costs have soared. It is expected to continue.

Dwikorita emphasized that the government and all elements of society must work together and work together in carrying out mitigation actions. This starts from saving electricity, water, waste management, reducing fossil energy and replacing it with electric vehicles, reducing the use of single-use plastics, planting trees, mangrove restoration, and so on.

Previously at the end of March, in the series of World Meteorological Day (HMD) commemorations, President Joko Widodo had also delivered a number of messages, namely: First, pay serious attention to weather and climate change information provided by the BMKG and other related agencies. Then formulate climate change mitigation and adaptation policies quickly and prepare better handling to reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Second, Jokowi asked his staff to develop a reliable early warning system by providing the meteorological, climatological and geophysical data and information quickly and accurately needed. And, third, Jokowi emphasized implementing a sustainable disaster education system. Jokowi wants his staff to carry out continuous education, literacy and advocacy. Take advantage of AI, BIG DATA, high performance computing technologies and do it with innovative, social engineering technologies and creative ways to build awareness, resilience, community participation. The capacity and resilience of climate change adaptation and mitigation must continue to be improved so that communities are able to respond quickly to potential disaster risks. Finally, the President asked to strengthen collaboration across Ministries/Agencies, the private sector, and various other elements of the nation in adapting and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Waiting for the “Monument” of Glacial Landscapes at Cartenstz Pyramid

Administratively, Mount Carstensz is located in Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province. Mount Carstensz is also a source of gold and copper mines, the largest and highest in the world (4285 masl) by Freeport. Carstensz Pyramid is the ideal mountain peak for mountaineers. Because apart from being the highest peak in Southeast Asia, it is also one of the Seven Summits, which is the term for the 7 highest mountain peaks found on every continent or region.

The existence of glaciers in tropical countries, which are located around the equator is an extraordinary geographical wealth. Glacial deposits formed in the tropics during snowball Earth episodes some 600 million years ago, raising questions about how the glaciers that left them formed. Now, Penn State geoscientists believe these glaciers could only have formed after Earth’s oceans were completely covered by thick sea ice.

Tropical glaciers in other equatorial countries, such as those around the Andes mountains (Ecuador and Colombia) and the Kilimanjaro Mountains (Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya) as well as the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas in Central and South Asia show a similar trend. Where, all ice in the tropics is experiencing the same pressure, it is decreasing and is in danger of disappearing. Losing Glaciers like the one at Carstensz Pyramid is clear evidence of the impact of climate change. Glaciers in the tropics respond to climate change more quickly than other areas. Because geographically it is in the warmest area of the world, where only the highest altitudes can survive which is very cold from the surrounding climate.

According to Australian adventurer and conservationist Tim Jarvis who went on the World’s Tropical Top Glacier expedition, there is plenty of snow and ice in the polar regions to understand the scale of climate change, where ice is melting very fast there. But at the equator, we can see the changes in contrast. There is a very good historical record that we can do before and after the contrast occurs, where the eternal snow in tropical countries will be completely lost. According to Jarvis, the event of the loss of eternal snow in the tropics is ideal, as a tool to convey messages about the impact of climate change to all people.

The glacier on the mountain, which is named Nemangkawi Ninggok by the Amungme tribe, has now disappeared by 93 percent in 38 years, since 1980. The melting of the glaciers will ensure the loss of a unique and irreplaceable historical climate record, as well as the economic, agricultural and cultural impacts that deep into the local community. The people of West Papua in Indonesia and the people of Papua New Guinea, the peak with the glacier is considered the place or head of their god.

The current generation of the Indonesian nation is truly fortunate. Still given the opportunity to witness the only eternal snow in Indonesia. When the time comes, when Indonesia’s eternal snow disappears, it turns into a lump of rock with the form of a mere “Monument”, like the Okjokull Monument in Iceland.

The Okjokull Monument is a symbol of mourning for the “death” of a 700-year-old glacier named Okjokull (Icelandic) in 2014. A documentary film titled “Not Ok” was released in 2018 to raise awareness about the events and consequences of climate change on the glaciers. The inscription on the monument, built in 2019, reads: “Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years, all of our glaciers are expected to follow the same path.” Under the caption, “Letter to the future”, it read: “This monument is to acknowledge that we know what happened and what needs to be done. Only you know, if we do.”

Everyone can only wait. Accept the harsh reality by witnessing when will the Glacier at Carstensz Pyramid completely disappear. Because according to experts, it is too late to take action. All that can be done is to try to slow the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. This can prevent the Earth from getting warmer and heading for the worst situation.

An “eternal” lesson, which should be easily understood and interpreted by all Indonesian people, together, about the threats and responses to climate change that are “real” happening. In the future, when the geographical wealth in the form of glacial landscapes (Verstappen) in the archipelago completely disappears, so will one of the valuable natural heritages for future generations.