Drought

Thousands of dead fish have carpeted the shrinking Silugonggo River in Indonesia’s Central Java, as a prolonged dry spell threatens water supplies and farmland across Pati Regency.
The river, also known as the Juwana River, has receded sharply around the Rubber Dam in Bungasrejo Village, Jakenan District. The river is an important source of water for nearby communities and irrigation for farmland.
Footage shows large stretches of the dam bed exposed, with piles of dead suckermouth catfish covering patches of mud and shallow water. Residents gather across the riverbed, collecting fish in containers.
“I’m catching some fish so my wife can cook them right away,” said one local. “I’ll take about ten fish home; maybe we can cook them later.”
“This is the first time something like this has happened. In previous years, there was never a drought like this,” he added.

Drought Raises Farmer Fears
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, BMKG, has placed Pati and more than 20 other Central Java regencies under its highest meteorological drought warning for the first ten days of September.
“As a resident of Pati Regency, I’m also worried. The dry season has been quite long, and seeing the river in this condition is concerning,” said local resident Mutia.
“Pati has a lot of agricultural land, so I feel sorry for the farmers. I’m also worried that the drought could spread to other areas if the dry conditions continue, especially with the river here drying up,” she added.
Low water levels have reportedly killed millions of fish, mostly suckermouth catfish, leaving them stranded across the drying riverbed.

Villages Need Clean Water
Pati’s Regional Disaster Management Agency, BPBD, said at least 20 villages across nine districts had been affected, with communities requesting deliveries of clean water.
The local government has maintained a drought disaster alert status, in place since early August and scheduled to run until the end of October.