El Niño "Godzilla" Threatens Jakarta's Economy, Pramono on Alert, Experts Highlight Food Inflation Risks

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has warned of the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon on the capital’s economy. The climate phenomenon is estimated to begin in mid-April until September 2026. “The BMKG has officially stated that El Niño will occur starting from mid-April to September. This means, sooner or later, it will affect the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government,” Pramono said while opening the Development Planning Deliberation (Musrenbang) of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government at City Hall on Thursday (16/4/2026). Pramono explained that the impact of El Niño does not stand alone. This phenomenon arrives alongside other global pressures, such as geopolitical conflicts that could disrupt supply chains and world energy prices. This condition is seen as potentially amplifying risks to Jakarta’s economic stability, particularly in maintaining inflation and public purchasing power. “Up to today, we have not yet found a meeting point on what will happen and how to resolve this because, in any case, it will affect fuel prices, supply chains, and various existing issues,” he said. In response, economist Bhima Yudhistira assessed that the El Niño phenomenon, especially one with the potential to become a super El Niño, must be taken seriously. “This super El Niño phenomenon must be addressed seriously by local governments, particularly in Jakarta, because Jakarta sources 100 percent of its food needs from other regions,” Bhima said when contacted by Kompas.com on Friday (17/4/2026). He recalled that the 2023 El Niño experience triggered a surge in inflation, particularly rice, which rose by around 20 percent in March 2024, the highest since 2011. Many rice-producing countries tend to restrict exports to secure domestic supplies, thereby narrowing availability in the international market. “What needs to be anticipated is the disruption to the national food supply, but also many rice-producing countries are imposing export bans to save their own countries from food inflation pressures,” he said.