BPBD: Banjarnegara Region Predicted to Experience Wet Dry Season in 2026

Banjarnegara is estimated to still experience a wet dry season, meaning that during the dry period there is still potential for rain, not completely dry like other regions. Banjarnegara (ANTARA) - The Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Banjarnegara Regency, Aji Piluroso, stated that the Banjarnegara region in Central Java (Jateng) is predicted to experience a wet dry season in 2026, even though the El Niño phenomenon has the potential to trigger a longer and hotter dry season. “This prediction was obtained based on the results of coordination with the Central Java Provincial BPBD along with the Heads of BPBD in regencies/cities throughout Central Java regarding preparedness to face this year’s dry season. Banjarnegara is estimated to still experience a wet dry season, meaning that during the dry season period there is still potential for rain, not completely dry like other regions,” he said in Banjarnegara on Monday. Based on the weather forecast issued by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), he continued, the start of the dry season in several regions is forecasted to begin in April, while in Banjarnegara it is predicted to occur in May 2026. He hopes that this condition can reduce the impact of drought, especially in areas that have previously been prone to clean water crises. “Residents in vulnerable areas are expected to detect potential drought early and immediately report if they experience a shortage of clean water for several days,” he said. According to him, reports from the community will accelerate handling, including the distribution of clean water aid through distributions carried out by the BPBD. As a mitigation step, he said, the Banjarnegara BPBD has carried out various efforts, including the construction of boreholes at several drought-prone points. Reflecting on historical data from the worst drought impacts, he said, the BPBD recorded at least 21 villages from seven sub-districts in southern Banjarnegara that have the potential to experience drought, namely Susukan, Purwareja Klampok, Mandiraja, Wanadadi, Pagedongan, and Rakit. “These areas are priorities for monitoring because in 2023 they experienced drought,” said Aji Piluroso. Nevertheless, he does not rule out the possibility that other areas, including previously unaffected regions such as the upper or northern Banjarnegara, could also potentially experience drought if weather conditions develop more extremely. “The potential still exists, but it is relatively small because our region’s conditions tend to be wet and forest cover is not too extensive,” he said. Furthermore, Aji said that in facing the 2026 dry season, the Banjarnegara BPBD continues to strengthen coordination with sub-district and village governments to monitor developments in the field. According to him, this step is taken to ensure a quick response to potential clean water crises or other disaster threats. “We hope that the predicted wet dry season in Banjarnegara can suppress drought risks, so that the impact is not as great as what happened in 2023,” he stated.