AHY Warns of Godzilla El Nino Impact, Government Prepares Infrastructure and Weather Modification

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono has set out the government’s efforts to reduce the impact of Godzilla El Nino on the public.

“We must prepare ourselves as best as possible so that El Nino, coinciding with the dry season, does not present overly significant problems for our people, including disruption to the food sector and the economy as a whole,” said AHY after a limited meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (28/7/2026).

First, on the readiness of water resource infrastructure, AHY is focusing on the availability of clean water for the public, raw water, and irrigation water so that rice paddies continue to be watered.

At present, according to AHY, clean water availability for these needs remains sufficient.

“Overall, based on data from the Ministry of Public Works, our total water reserves are still adequate and sufficient. In other words, we are still safe.”

Another risk highlighted by AHY is the potential for forest and land fires resulting from Godzilla El Nino, particularly in hotspots such as Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and several other provinces.

To anticipate this, the government is conducting weather modification operations to cool and extinguish sources of fire.

“I repeat, through weather modification operations using a methodology expected to promptly extinguish fire points, including weather modification operations to ensure water levels in dams, reservoirs and our lakes also remain in a safe condition,” he said.

Going forward, with technological developments, weather modification operations will also evolve, for instance through the use of drones.

“This can improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of weather modification operations.”

The government will also focus on water self-sufficiency, one effort being the creation of new water sources.

“We discussed how to develop or devise strategies, for example seawater desalination for a number of regions or islands, as well as how to purify brackish water and so on,” AHY explained.

“So we want to ensure that when extreme weather occurs, including a potentially prolonged El Nino, we are all ready and must also prepare anticipatory measures, not only for water shortages but also in the event of forest and land fires,” he continued.