Sleman BPBD Declares Drought Emergency Alert to Anticipate El Niño

The Sleman Regency Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in the Special Region of Yogyakarta has declared a Drought Emergency Alert status through Regent Decree Number 59.1/Kep.KDH/2024, effective from 1 July to 31 August, in anticipation of a potentially prolonged dry season in 2026 due to the El Nino anomaly.

“This status may be extended or upgraded to an emergency status if the impact of the drought worsens. This is also due to the strengthening of the Australian monsoon winds, which are predicted to last until December,” said Head of Sleman BPBD Bambang Kuntoro in Sleman on Tuesday.

He said the phenomenon has resulted in a shift of the peak dry season from August to September, as well as a delay in the onset of the rainy season in the Sleman area until late October or early December.

“The peak of the dry season, which was originally in August, has shifted to September, and the rainfall or rainy season in 2026 has also been delayed, possibly to late October or even early December because El Nino is still strong in December,” said Bambang.

As a mitigation measure, Sleman BPBD, together with the TNI, Polri, Basarnas, PMI, Fire Department, Satpol PP, BMKG, BBTKG, and volunteers, held a Forest and Land Fire Preparedness Alert to anticipate the prevalence of residential and land fires during the dry season.

To address the impact of clean water shortages, the Sleman Regency Government has allocated a budget of approximately Rp25 million, equivalent to handling 50 tanks of clean water. Clean water distribution is carried out situationally according to the needs of residents in the field.

According to Sleman BPBD records, clean water distribution has been carried out at several points affected by technical constraints or declining water source discharge. In April, assistance of four water tanks was distributed to Girikerto and Purwobinangun, Turi District, due to blockage of the Pamsimas system buried by Merapi material.

Water distribution was also carried out in July, with five tanks or the equivalent of 25,000 litres delivered to Sumbersari, Moyudan District, due to damage to the Pamsimas pump.

Subsequently in August, BPBD distributed eight tanks or the equivalent of 40,000 litres of clean water to Wukirsari, Turi District, because the discharge of the Krasak spring had decreased to one-third of its normal capacity.

“Alhamdulillah, because there was rotation and water conservation by the community in Wukirsari, Turi, there has been no further dropping from us in the past two days. The management checked the reservoir and it is still sufficient,” said Bambang.

Meanwhile, for the agricultural sector water supply, BPBD confirmed that supply in the West Sleman area remains safe and under control. There has been no total closure of the Selokan Mataram or Van Der Wijck networks, but rather only a reduction in water discharge from the Karangtalun Dam based on arrangements by the Serayu Opak River Basin Agency (BBWS SO).

“So no agricultural land has been affected by El Nino,” he said.