Commodities El Nino dries Kalimantan rivers, hits coal shipments in Indonesia

Palm oil transport also suffers with drought likely to persist into early 2027

Dried-up river at Palangkaraya in central Kalimantan. Drought caused by a particularly strong El Nino this year has lowered river levels on the Indonesian part of Borneo island, disrupting delivery of commodities like coal and palm oil. © Antara

JAKARTA -- Severe drought precipitated by the El Nino climate phenomenon has hit rivers in Kalimantan provinces, Indonesia's main production hubs for coal and palm oil, disrupting deliveries of the commodities and threatening production and price increases.