An aerial view shows rocks surfacing at the bottom of a river in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, on July 17, as the water level drops in part due to the impact of El Nino. BAY ISMOYO/AFP
More regions across Indonesia are facing worsening water shortages as the El Nino-driven dry season intensifies, with authorities warning that prolonged below-normal rainfall could deepen the crisis in the coming months.
Thousands of households across several regencies have already gone weeks without rain, prompting the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure, or BNPB, to urge regional administrations to strengthen drought preparedness.
More than 7,100 households are struggling to access clean water in some of the hardest-hit areas, including Cilacap, Klaten and Jepara in Central Java; Bantul in Yogyakarta; Karawang, Tasikmalaya and Sukabumi in West Java; as well as Seram in Maluku, where emergency water deliveries are also underway.
"BNPB urges all regional administrations and the public to strengthen preparedness against drought, clean water shortages, and forest and land fires," BNPB Spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement in early July.
