火山喷发导致雅加达蛇果种植园普遍干旱

近期默拉皮火山喷发造成六个灌溉大坝被火山泥流冲毁，印尼日惹特区的成千上万公顷的蛇果种植园面临干旱灾害。

Sleman地区建有六个大坝，分别为坦佩尔和图日两区的蛇果种植园提供灌溉水源。“如果六个大坝不能及时修复，蛇果就不能生长”，Sleman地区Wonokerto村农民用水协会的主席Subardiyanto说。他还表示，因为果树需水量太大，农民不能利用雨水灌溉。Subardiyanto还说，成千上万公顷的蛇果种植园（仅Wonokerto地区就有679公顷）会因为缺水而受影响。

蛇果的是图日和坦佩尔地区的主要经济来源。在Sleman地区，旱灾给蛇果种植者增加了更多压力。去年默拉皮火山爆发造成将近14,000公顷的蛇果种植园被毁，给农民带来2000亿RP的经济损失(合2200万美元)。

图日Manggong的一个蛇果种植农民，Sunaryo说除了导致种植园损毁以外，火山爆发使小树苗也遭受严重破坏。指望补种树苗的农民不得不等上两年的时间。他说：“今年的丰收基本上没有指望了，而且明年还得等待果树恢复。”

Sleman管理人员说，2009年蛇果的产量达到61.16吨，因为受火山活动影响了大部分的种植区域，今年的产量将大幅下降。

负责Krasak河水利用的官员Suhardi表示，他们部门向Sleman水能源和矿资源机构已经提交了建议书，提出修复六个大坝中的三个。他说：“Sleman机构同意提供16亿Rp资金用以修复三个大坝”同时提出款项全部来自机构的2011年预算。然而，Sleman机构在被毁房屋重建方面面临着更多的压力。Suhardi 对机构提供修补大坝资金的能力表示怀疑。

现在火山泥流灾害仍是一个非常复杂的问题，如果大坝得以修复，它们还会被下一次的火山泥流破坏。

Snake fruit plantations may dry up as dams are destroyed

Thousands of hectares of snake fruit plantations in Yogyakarta may turn arid after six irrigation dams were damaged by lahar following recent volcanic eruptions on Mount Merapi.

The six dams provide water to the snake fruit plantations in Tempel and Turi district in Sleman regency.

“If the dams cannot be repaired soon, the snake fruit plants will not be able to grow,” Subardiyanto, the head of the Association of Water Consuming Farmers at Wonokerto village, Sleman, said.

He said farmers could not irrigate using rain water as the trees needed large amounts of water.

Subardiyanto added that thousands of hectares of snake fruit plantations — 679 hectares in Wonokerto alone — would be affected by the water scarcity.

“In Turi and Temple districts the snake fruit harvest is the major source of income,” he said.

The threat of drought has put more pressure on snake fruit growers in Sleman regency. Mt. Merapi’s eruptions last year devastated nearly 14,000 hectares of snake fruit plantations, causing farmers to lose Rp 200 billion (US$22 million).

Sunaryo, a snake fruit farmer in Manggong, Turi, said that apart from destroying harvests, the eruptions also destroyed young saplings. Farmers looking to replant can have to wait two years for new growth,he said.“The harvests this year will fall substantially and also next year as we have to wait for the trees to recover,” he added.

The Sleman administration said snake fruit production in 2009 reached 61.16 tons, but added that this would fall sharply as most plantations in the areas had been affected by the volcanic activity.

One of the officers in charge of monitoring the use of water from the Krasak River, Suhardi, said his office had submitted proposals to the Sleman Water, Energy and Mineral Resources Agency to repair three of the six dams.

“The Sleman administration promised to fund Rp 1.6 billion to repair the three dams,” he said,

adding that the money would come out of the administration’s 2011 budget.

However, the Sleman administration also faces the more pressing priority of reconstructing houses devastated by the eruptions.

Suhardi raised doubts about the administration’s ability to provide the funds needed to repair the dams.

The problem is also compounded by the still present threat of lahar. If the dams are repaired, they could be hit by fresh lahar, he added.