Drought in Central Java: 148 Villages Affected, 6.8 Million Litres of Water Distributed

The Central Java Provincial Government is accelerating its response to the dry season by distributing 6.8 million litres of clean water to 25 affected regencies and cities. The measure aims to ensure the basic needs of the community are met amid the extreme weather conditions. As of 24 July 2026, the aid has reached 61,139 families, totalling approximately 184,643 individuals. Head of the Central Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Bergas Catursasi Penanggungan, explained that the drought currently impacts 83 sub-districts and 148 villages, with 11 regencies and cities having declared a drought emergency alert status. “The total amount of water distributed as of 24 July 2026 is 6.8 million litres,” Bergas stated while reporting the situation to Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi on Monday. Of the total distribution, 4,853,800 litres were sourced from the provincial and regency/city budgets, while 1,951,500 litres came from corporate social responsibility programmes, the Indonesian Red Cross, the military, police, and other related agencies. Klaten, Pemalang, and Banjarnegara regencies recorded the highest volumes of water distribution. Despite the ongoing efforts, Bergas confirmed that water reserves remain ample, with approximately 40 million litres still available from a total of 44.9 million litres prepared through the provincial budget. Beyond the water crisis, the BPBD also highlighted a spike in fire incidents, recording 275 events between 5 June and 19 July 2026, comprising 56 forest and land fires and 219 building and house fires. Material losses from forest and land fires reached Rp607 million, while building fires caused losses of up to Rp27 billion. Governor Ahmad Luthfi stressed that drought mitigation had been prepared early and instructed all regional heads to precisely map vulnerable areas to ensure targeted distribution. He also prioritised water supply for the agricultural sector to maintain the province’s 2026 rice production targets, noting that a request for water pump assistance had been approved by the Minister of Agriculture and was awaiting follow-up by the provincial agriculture and livestock agency.