Drought Hits Java as Forest Fires Spread Across Sumatra and Kalimantan
The dry season has triggered drought in several areas of Java, while forest and land fires continue to spread in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has recorded thousands of residents affected by the drought, as the area of burnt land continues to increase in a number of provinces.
Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre, Abdul Muhari, stated that the developments were based on disaster monitoring from Tuesday (21/7) to Wednesday (22/7). In West Java, the drought in Bogor Regency is still affecting 16,291 families or 52,602 people. The Bogor Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) is distributing clean water to Hambalang Village, Gadog Village, and Sukajaya Village to meet residents’ needs.
In Central Java, drought is also still occurring in several areas. In Banyumas Regency, the disaster has affected 2,867 families or 9,002 people, while in Cilacap Regency, 8,154 families or 27,605 people are still impacted. “As of Monday (20/7), the total distribution of clean water reached 60 tanks or the equivalent of 315,000 litres,” Abdul said regarding the handling in Cilacap Regency. Drought is also still occurring in Klaten, Sragen, and Grobogan Regencies. In Klaten, the clean water aid distributed has reached 321 tanks or approximately 1.605 million litres, while in Pemalang, clean water distribution has reached 81,000 litres.
In the Special Region of Yogyakarta, the drought in Kulon Progo Regency has affected 63 families or 176 people. The local government continues to distribute clean water aid to the affected residents. “In addition to the distribution of clean water by local governments, BNPB is also strengthening mitigation efforts to face the dry season and the potential El Niño through Weather Modification Operations in priority areas, the construction of boreholes, and pipanisation to ensure the availability of clean water and support agriculture in drought-prone areas,” Abdul said.
Meanwhile, forest and land fires continue to pose a threat in several regions. In Aceh, the area of land burnt as of 21 July reached 761.68 hectares spread across 20 regencies and one city. In South Sumatra, the burnt area reached 664.87 hectares across 12 regencies. Handling efforts are being carried out through ground operations, air patrols, water bombing, and weather modification operations. As of 20 July 2026, 479 fire incidents had been recorded in the province. In Central Kalimantan, the burnt area reached 889.92 hectares, an increase of around 37.24 hectares compared to the previous period. Meanwhile, in South Kalimantan, the burnt area reached 39.4 hectares and the provincial government has maintained a state of emergency alert until 31 August 2026. BNPB urged local governments to strengthen preparedness for the dry season by ensuring the availability of clean water and optimising mitigation measures to reduce the risk of drought and forest fires.