Indonesia Steps Up Extreme Weather Mitigation Efforts Amid Imminent El Niño Arrival

Jakarta: The Indonesian government is stepping up preparations to mitigate the risks of drought and fires amid the early arrival of El Niño.
 
“We want to ensure the government is prepared,” Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) said on Metro TV's Metro Siang program on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
 
As part of efforts, the government has formulated a water self-sufficiency strategy, encompassing the mapping of water-surplus and drought-prone areas, the development of seawater desalination technologies for island regions, and the expansion of brackish water purification systems.
 
“As an archipelagic state, Indonesia faces unique water self-sufficiency challenges. We must continue to identify reliable and sustainable water sources to meet the country’s needs,” AHY said.
 
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) will also collaborate with the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB), the Ministry of Forestry, and the private sector to carry out various technical weather modification operations.
 
“Our focus is on replenishing Indonesia’s reservoirs. We are working to optimize water levels in the country’s 242 reservoirs to support hydroelectric power generation, agricultural irrigation, and public water needs,” BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fathani said.
 
The operations will also help combat forest and land fires, with the BMKG focusing its efforts on six high-risk provinces: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.
 
“We will saturate the peatlands in these regions to make them less susceptible to fires. We will also monitor other regions, including the Riau Islands and Aceh, and carry out weather modification operations there if needed,” Teuku Faisal said.
 
(Jonathan Sianto)