El Nino Warning 2026 Strengthens, Legislators Urge All Parties to Prevent Drought

According to Daniel Johan, a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives, the El Nino warning is not just a scientific prediction, but a real alarm for millions of farmers in Indonesia who rely on water availability.

Daniel Johan responded to a warning from Professor R. Dwi Susanto of the University of Maryland, which stated that the El Nino phenomenon could develop into a strong to very strong category in the second half of 2026, potentially causing drought and water crisis.

Daniel Johan emphasized that the El Nino warning is not just a scientific prediction, but a real alarm for farmers who depend on water availability. He hopes that all parties will not ignore the potential warning and take concrete steps to prevent drought.

Daniel Johan proposed several concrete steps to prevent drought, including the preparation of boreholes in agricultural areas prone to drought, the acceleration of embung construction in villages with deep well support, and adjustments to planting patterns based on BMKG forecasts.

Additionally, Daniel Johan suggested anticipating the presence of strong pests that can attack agriculture during drought and creating a national water management system based on climate cycles to address El Nino.

He also emphasized the importance of preparing integrated water storage infrastructure with climate data and utilizing digital technology to manage water more efficiently.

Finally, Daniel Johan stressed the need for cross-ministerial and institutional coordination to anticipate the impact of El Nino and prevent it from affecting farmers and the national food sector.