BNPB Prepares Drought Mitigation Measures for El Niño Through 2027
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is preparing mitigation measures to address the possibility that the onset of the rainy season will be delayed until early 2027 because of a very strong El Niño.
“We continue to monitor and assess each update to weather data provided by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) regarding the potential for prolonged drought,” Berton Panjaitan, head of BNPB’s Data, Information and Disaster Communications Centre, said when contacted in Jakarta on Thursday.
BNPB, together with ministries, agencies and local governments, is drawing up daily and weekly response measures to manage drought and forest and land fires.
“For example, weather-modification operations (OMC) to increase the likelihood of rain by dispersing NaCl and similar substances. The air task force is continuing its work based on its analysis,” Berton said.
In addition to tackling fires, BNPB, local governments and non-profit organisations and institutions are distributing clean water to address the effects of drought.
Drought has affected Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta after the number of consecutive days without rain reached 131, or more than four months. BMKG said the conditions were influenced by a very strong El Niño.
Berton said BNPB would continue to assess preparedness and mitigation measures so that disaster response could be adjusted to changing conditions on the ground.
“We will carry out ongoing assessments of preparedness and mitigation, including determining the measures that need to be taken going forward,” he said.
BMKG forecasts that the rainy season will begin later than usual across most of Indonesia. This applies to 529 Seasonal Zones (ZOM), or around 61.08 per cent of the country’s land area.
The rainy season is expected to arrive in stages, beginning in November 2026 in 185 ZOM covering 24.66 per cent of Indonesia’s land area, followed by December 2026 in 266 ZOM covering 17.31 per cent.
Although the onset of the rainy season is expected to be delayed, cumulative rainfall in 510 ZOM, or 69.76 per cent of the country’s land area, is forecast to remain within the normal range.
The peak of the rainy season is also expected to occur in stages: in December 2026 in 155 ZOM covering 36.94 per cent of the land area; in January 2027 in 162 ZOM covering 25.68 per cent; and in February 2027 in 190 ZOM covering 16.79 per cent of Indonesia’s land area.
BMKG also forecasts that the rainy season will be shorter than usual in 482 ZOM.