Makassar Declares Clean Water Emergency as Drought Threatens Over 50,000 Residents
The dry season this year has hit the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi, hard. The impact of the drought has now spread to 27 urban wards across six districts, threatening more than 50,000 residents who are beginning to struggle to meet their daily clean water needs.
The Makassar City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) recorded that as of 9 July 2026, at least 173 drought points had been identified. Thousands of households have been forced to adapt to the dwindling water supply, while the government prepares emergency measures.
Based on data collected by the BPBD since early June, the Biringkanaya district is the worst affected. A total of 58 drought points are spread across four urban wards, affecting 14,787 people, the highest figure compared to other areas.
‘We found that nearly 15,000 residents in Biringkanaya are currently heavily dependent on tanker water supplies. This is a concerning condition,’ said the Chief Executive of the Makassar City BPBD, Muhammad Fadli Tahar, on Monday (13/7).
The Tallo district followed with 36 drought points affecting 13,762 people, followed by Tamalanrea with 27 points and 9,947 people affected. Meanwhile, Manggala recorded 29 points with 7,610 people, Ujung Tanah 17 points with 2,921 people, and Panakkukang was recorded as the least affected area with six points and 1,324 people.
In total, 12,717 homes or 14,564 families are now in a difficult situation.
Facing the threat of a crisis, the Makassar City BPBD is moving quickly. A total of 180 personnel have been deployed, supported by four pick-up trucks, 57 water tanks, and four water pumps to distribute aid.
Fadli stressed that the distribution of clean water will target all mapped points. His agency will also utilise various water sources, from the regional water company (PDAM) and groundwater to the Pamsimas programme, to maintain supply availability.
‘The most urgent need is clean water. We have planned distribution to the 173 affected points so that the community’s needs can be met immediately,’ he asserted.
Decisive action is being taken. The Makassar City Government will declare a Drought Emergency Response status on Tuesday (14/7) as a form of accelerated handling.
The announcement will be delivered directly by the Mayor of Makassar, Munafri Arifuddin, during the 2026 Preparedness Assembly held at 08:00 WITA in the MNEK area. Following the assembly, a Cross-Sector Coordination Meeting will be held at 10:00 WITA, bringing together all stakeholders to unify the handling measures.
The BPBD will also activate the Emergency Response Command Post, so that coordination and aid distribution can run in a more integrated manner.
‘There has been an increase in the impact of the drought. Therefore, the emergency response status is important to optimise the mobilisation of personnel, facilities, and cross-agency support,’ Fadli explained.
Amid this situation, Fadli urged the public to use water wisely and not wastefully. Residents experiencing a clean water crisis in their neighbourhoods are asked to report immediately via the Makassar City BPBD Hotline at 0815-5112-112 or the Emergency Service 112 through the Lontara+ citizen complaint application.
‘All our personnel are on standby. We continue to monitor developments and update data regularly so that the handling is fast and on target,’ he concluded.