Climate Expert Identifies Main Triggers Behind Earth's Surface Warming

April 24, 2025 | 10:30 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Rising Earth's surface temperatures in recent years, including throughout 2024, are not solely caused by natural factors. Rahmat Hidayat, an Indonesian Tropical Meteorology expert from IPB University, stated that the current warming of the Earth's surface comes from both anthropogenic factors (human activities) and natural factors such as sea surface warming events like El Nino.

“When talking about the increase in surface temperatures, it indeed cannot be separated from various factors, one of which is the occurrence of El Nino,” said Rahmat in a written statement on Thursday, April 24, 2025.

However, he emphasized that El Nino is not the only cause of the rising surface temperatures. “The increase in temperature is also heavily influenced by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as carbon dioxide produced by human activities. These gases trap heat, thereby hindering the release of heat from the Earth into the atmosphere,” he said.

Anthropogenic factors, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, also play a significant role in the rise of Earth's surface temperatures. On the other hand, phenomena like El Nino, which is characterized by rising sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, also contribute to the increase in surface temperatures.

“The combination of greenhouse gas emissions and sea surface warming anomalies caused by El Niño is what accelerates the rise in Earth’s surface temperatures,” he said.

As Head of the Meteorology and Atmospheric Pollution Division at the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at IPB University, Rahmat explained how El Nino and La Nina affect extreme weather conditions.

He stated that El Nino events often worsen droughts in Indonesia because moist air masses are lifted and shift to other regions, while La Nina can lead to excessive rainfall.

“El Nino causes negative anomalies in rainfall, intensifies the dry season, and can even lead to widespread forest fires. On the other hand, La Nina can result in flooding or crop failure due to excessively high rainfall,” he explained.

Regarding the recent floods that have affected several areas, such as Puncak Bogor to Bekasi, Rahmat believes that heavy rainfall may have caused these conditions. However, they can also be worsened by poor land use and land cover management.

“Sometimes, the rainfall is not particularly extreme, but the ground cannot absorb the water due to changes in land use. Many water catchment areas have been converted into commercial zones or residential areas,” he said.

Regarding efforts to reduce the impact of climate change globally, Rahmat mentioned two main approaches: adaptation and mitigation. “Adaptation includes measures such as building dikes or constructing elevated houses to avoid flooding. Meanwhile, mitigation can be done by reducing the use of fossil fuels, switching to renewable energy, and limiting deforestation and industrial emissions,” he said.

He also emphasized that controlling emissions is not solely the government's responsibility, but communities, institutions, and even individuals. “Every small action, if done collectively, can have a significant impact on the Earth,” he stated.

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