Jakarta, April 23 -- Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq urged increased vigilance against forest and land fires as Indonesia is projected to record its lowest rainfall in 3 decades this year.

"According to BMKG projection, we will experience a long dry season peaking in August-September 2026 and ending only in November 2026," Nurofiq stated here on Wednesday, referring to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The minister said that rainfall during the seven dry months, starting in April 2026, is projected to be less than 100 mm per month, while rising temperatures in the Pacific Ocean may trigger El Niño.

"Besides the long dry season, our rainfall will be at its lowest in 30 years," he said.

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