Drought tightens grip across Indonesia

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Residents carry buckets of water collected from a natural spring on June 20 in East Java. Villagers say they have struggled to access clean water for drinking and daily needs over the past month, forcing them to walk about 1km to the spring.

Residents carrying buckets of water collected from a natural spring on June 20 in East Java.

PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

JAKARTA – More regions across Indonesia are facing worsening water shortages as the El Nino-driven dry season intensifies, with the 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 Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to urge regional administrations to strengthen drought preparedness.

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