UMY Lecturer Stresses Water Conservation-Based Mitigation to Tackle Drought

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Ani Hairani, a civil engineering lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), has emphasised the importance of mitigation through household-level water conservation as a strategic measure to reduce the risk of a clean water crisis during the peak of the 2026 dry season.

Such steps are crucial amid the declaration of drought emergency alert status in the regencies of Bantul and Gunungkidul in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, which is expected to last until August.

“Water conservation can start at home. Rainwater should not be channelled directly into drainage, but should instead be allowed to seep back into the ground or be stored for later use,” Ani said in a statement issued in Yogyakarta on Monday.

Ani explained that the current drought threat is no longer triggered solely by seasonal rainfall patterns, but is also exacerbated by the impacts of global climate change. This phenomenon has caused the dry season to last longer, evaporation to increase, and seasonal shifts that disrupt water resource management planning.

“Climate change has made the hydrological cycle unpredictable. In addition, land conversion that reduces water catchment areas has worsened the situation, because rainwater is not stored properly as groundwater reserves,” she said.

She further detailed three types of drought to watch out for: meteorological drought caused by low rainfall, hydrological drought marked by declining groundwater levels, and agricultural drought that threatens food security.

She noted that regional governments have in fact been undertaking mitigation efforts through climate monitoring and water resource management scenarios. However, the success of drought disaster risk control still requires active public participation through wise land-use management and water-saving consumption patterns.

“Drought is influenced not only by natural factors, but also by human activity. By preserving groundwater reserves through conservation at the household level, we can minimise the impact of a water crisis during the dry season,” Ani said.