Indonesia Faces Threat from Godzilla El Niño, Beware of Soaring Food Prices!
Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has released a prediction of extreme weather in the form of the Godzilla El Niño, which has the potential to strike Indonesia during the dry season in 2026.
In response, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) stated that this should serve as a ‘warning’ to the government, as it could lead to rising food prices.
The Director of Price Statistics at BPS explained that, in theory, the Godzilla El Niño could cause prices to surge. This is because prolonged dry conditions can lower the productivity of agricultural crop production.
Meanwhile, public demand for agricultural products for daily consumption remains steady, resulting in an imbalance between supply and demand. This situation will drive up prices and trigger inflation.
“In theory, if production or productivity of crops needed for daily needs is constrained—perhaps with low output or limited stocks—according to basic economic principles, when demand remains unchanged, there will be a tendency for price increases. That’s an economic principle,” he said during a presentation at the BPS Central Building in Jakarta on Tuesday (21/4/2026).
Although Saparno noted that the exact impacts will only be visible once the Godzilla El Niño is underway, he emphasised that the government must remain vigilant against the potential rise in volatile food inflation.
“Of course, this actually serves as a warning to the government in situations like this, with El Niño, so that productivity of staple needs—especially those related to volatile food—is affected,” he added.
Therefore, Saparno stated that policy strategies are needed for food price stability.
“That might require building strategies for price stability. Whether imports are needed or otherwise,” said Saparno.
Previously, BRIN predicted that Indonesia would face a strong intensity El Niño phenomenon, often dubbed “Godzilla,” this year. This condition has the potential to make the dry season longer and drier, especially in western and southern Indonesia.
El Niño itself is a phenomenon of warming sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that impacts reduced rainfall in Indonesia. In its strong phase, this phenomenon is called “Godzilla” because it can trigger significant climate anomalies.
“El Niño is a phenomenon of warming sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The El Niño phenomenon, including the potential for a strong ‘Godzilla’ variation, causes the dry season in Indonesia to become longer and drier,” wrote Researcher from BRIN’s Centre for Climate and Atmospheric Research, Erma Yulihastin, quoted from the official Instagram post @brin_indonesia, on Tuesday (21/4/2026).