Jakarta (VNA) – Several wildfire-prone regions in Sumatra and Kalimantan have issued fire alerts as Indonesia braces for a dry season forecast to bring lower rainfall and harsher weather conditions that could trigger crop failures and severe drought.
The Central Kalimantan provincial administration has declared a 90-day wildfire alert, with local disaster mitigation authorities intensifying surveillance and vigilance in the heavily forested province. Similar warnings have also been issued in several regencies in North Sumatra and West Kalimantan after multiple fire hotspots were detected in recent days.
North Sumatra's neighbouring Riau province had already declared a 10-month alert in mid-February as rising temperatures and declining rainfall led to more than 1,000 hectares of area being burned since the start of 2026 during the transition to the dry season.
According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), most parts of Indonesia are expected to enter the dry season between late March and May, with the peak projected in August, including in areas of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. The season is forecast to last longer than the 30-year average, with residents in Java, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara likely to experience dry conditions for around 10 months.
Sumatra and Kalimantan are expected to see comparatively shorter dry spells of six to nine months although wildfire risks are still set to rise due to reduced rainfall.
BMKG deputy head for climatology Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan said precipitation during this year’s dry season is likely to fall below levels recorded in previous years.
BMKG head Teuku Faisal Fathani has urged local authorities to ensure reliable access to water supplies to mitigate the risks of severe drought and crop losses in the coming months, particularly in East Java, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara.
Across Indonesia, approximately 212,000 hectares of forest and land, an area three times larger than Jakarta, were burned in 2025, with most fires recorded in North Sumatra, West Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara./.
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