Indonesia's Public Works Ministry Tackles Drought at 1,229 Locations Nationwide

On August 21, 2026, Indonesia's Ministry of Public Works (PU) reported that it had resolved 1,229 locations impacted by drought across the nation. These sites encompassed agricultural zones, residential districts, and areas affected by forest and land fires. Minister Dody Hanggodo emphasized water availability's importance for sustainable development, particularly in agriculture, which heavily depends on a steady water supply.

In Jakarta, he highlighted water services as vital for economic, social, and environmental progress, especially in regions with scarce water resources and climate change effects.

The Directorate General of Water Resources within the Ministry of Public Works stated that efforts to counter drought impacts caused by El Niño were being intensified continuously. The records indicate that 1,072 locations were successfully addressed, while 157 remained under handling. Among these, 157 rice field sites, 931 residential areas, and 141 locations impacted by forest and land fires received drought mitigation interventions.

These actions saved around 41,252 hectares of rice fields and supplied clean water to 616,033 individuals.

In the agricultural sector, numerous measures were taken to maintain rice field productivity despite the drought threat. These included pumping water from rivers to rice fields, normalizing irrigation channels, constructing emergency channels, and optimizing water networks. Out of the 157 rice field locations targeted, 124 were completed.

River water pumping was the primary method, executed at 69 locations, accounting for approximately 43.9 percent of all agricultural interventions. In residential areas, the Ministry prioritized meeting basic community needs through clean water distribution; of the 931 addressed locations, 811 were completed. Water distribution was the primary response measure, covering 902 locations, or roughly 96.9 percent of all residential drought-related interventions.

Measures to tackle forest and land fires also focused on 141 locations, with 137 successfully resolved via firefighting efforts. Regionally, Java saw the largest scope of operations, covering 728 locations. In Java alone, 26,346 hectares of rice fields were protected, and clean water services reached 533,604 people. Through these measures, the Ministry of Public Works continues to utilize available resources and infrastructure to mitigate drought impacts, ensure public water availability, and safeguard agricultural land for maintaining food productivity.