Indonesia facing longer and more severe dry season this year

2026-03-04 - 05:13

File image of a parched rice field after a prolonged drought in Lampeunurut, Aceh, Indonesia, July 2025. (EPA Images pic) JAKARTA: Indonesia is expected to experience a longer and more severe dry season in 2026 compared to last year, the country’s meteorological agency warned on Wednesday, raising the likelihood of drought. The dry season will come in April, earlier than last year in most provinces of Indonesia, and is expected to peak in August, said agency official Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan. Last year, Indonesia’s wet season had a longer-than-usual peak period, resulting in extreme rainfall in most regions and causing the deadly Sumatran floods and landslides that killed more than 1,100 people. The weather pattern known as La Nina, which usually brings more rainfall, ended in February, the official said. Most provinces on the islands of Java, Sumatra, Bali, Borneo and Nusa Tenggara are expected to have a more severe dry season this year, the agency said. Ardhasena warned of the higher risk of drought in these provinces. “We need to pay attention, especially to areas that become centres of food production, such as Java island,” he said. The agency advised farmers to adjust planting schedules and choose crop varieties that are “more drought resistant and have shorter growing cycles”. The agency also warned of the risk of forest fires during the dry season peak in fire-prone provinces like Riau and Jambi.