81 Villages in Cilacap at Risk of Drought and Forest Fires
With the dry season approaching, which is expected to be drier due to the El Nino Godzilla phenomenon, the Cilacap Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in Central Java has mapped out areas prone to drought and forest and land fires (karhutla).
The Acting Secretary of the Cilacap BPBD, Purwanto Kurniawan, said that based on the BPBD’s assessment, there are 13 sub-districts and 81 villages in Cilacap that fall into the high-risk category for karhutla.
“To support the handling efforts, the BPBD has mobilized 69 personnel spread across the main office and several UPTDs. In addition, there is an allocation of 250 clean water tanks for distribution to areas affected by drought,” he explained on Friday (May 15).
According to him, the BPBD is also preparing 15 fire pump units, seven light towers, three water tanker units, and 20 water tanks along with other supporting equipment. “We are preparing long-term solutions for villages that routinely experience drought during the dry season,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Tunggul Wulung Cilacap Meteorological Station stated that the dry season this year is predicted to begin in the second decade of May with rainfall conditions below normal or drier than usual.
The BMKG also predicts the occurrence of the El Nino phenomenon in the period from May to July 2026 and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which has the potential to last until the end of the year.
The BMKG Tunggul Wulung Cilacap forecaster, Adnan Dendy Mardika, explained that the sea surface temperature in the southern Java region is expected to start cooling in early June, which will have an impact on decreasing rainfall, especially in coastal areas. “The peak of the dry season is expected to occur in August 2026 with a duration of about six months or longer than normal,” he said.
The BMKG also recommends a number of mitigation steps, including adjusting planting schedules, using drought-resistant plant varieties, optimizing irrigation water, patrolling fire-prone areas, and providing clean water supplies in affected areas. (H-2)
The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Cilacap Regency, Central Java, is strengthening various anticipation measures following the potential emergence of tropical cyclones in the south of Java Island.
The Bojong village is one of the areas prone to water crises during the dry season. Based on BPBD’s assessment, at least 105 villages in Cilacap are at risk of experiencing drought.
As the dry season begins, several areas in Cilacap Regency, Central Java, have started to experience drought.
The IKN Authority has initiated a karhutla control strategy starting from the stages of prevention, preparedness and early detection, extinguishing fires, to post-fire handling.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) predicts that significant rainfall is still likely to occur in several regions of Indonesia in the period of May 12-18, 2026.
The potential for the El Nino phenomenon, which is predicted to affect the decrease in rainfall, will occur in the period from June to August.
Of the 47 sub-districts in Sukabumi Regency, as many as 27 sub-districts are categorized as moderately vulnerable, 16 sub-districts are vulnerable, and 2 sub-districts are highly vulnerable.
One of the efforts that has now begun and has had a positive impact is the operation of the Teritip Reservoir as an additional source of raw water.