15,531 People Affected by Drought and Water Crisis in Gorontalo

The Gorontalo Provincial Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has recorded that 15,531 people from 6,100 households across three districts have been affected by drought and are experiencing a clean water crisis.

Head of Emergency and Logistics at Gorontalo BPBD, Hifny Tegela, said his team continues to intensify the distribution of clean water to affected areas to meet the basic needs of the community.

“The data on drought impacts continues to develop in line with the results of field assessments. To date, 15,531 people and 6,100 households have been recorded as affected in three districts,” Hifny said in Gorontalo on Monday, 10 August 2026.

He said BPBD, together with district governments and other stakeholders, continues to distribute clean water in stages, prioritising villages experiencing a decline in water source discharge as well as areas with increasingly limited access to clean water.

According to him, field assessments are carried out periodically to update data and ensure that aid is distributed according to the level of need of the community in each affected area.

In addition to clean water distribution, BPBD is also monitoring weather developments and drought potential together with relevant agencies. The results of this monitoring serve as the basis for determining handling priorities, as well as accelerating response if the affected area expands.

Hifny said drought management requires cross-sector collaboration, not only from BPBD but also from local governments, regional agencies, businesses, humanitarian organisations, and the community.

“Cross-sector collaboration is key to ensuring that services to the community can run optimally, especially in ensuring that clean water needs continue to be met during the dry season,” he said.