Lake Murray dries up as severe drought hits PNG’s Western Province

Thousands of residents in Papua New Guinea's Western Province are facing severe water shortages, school closures, and rising disease as the country’s largest lake dries up during a prolonged dry spell.

Island communities in the Lake Murray local level government area of Middle Fly District are being forced to abandon their homes and camp near shrinking creeks as surrounding lagoons dry out completely.

Middle Fly District acting disaster coordinator Jeremiah James said water levels at the Lake Murray outlet into the Herbert River have dropped by two metres, leaving gravel bars exposed and blocking river travel for dinghies and canoes.

The drop in water levels has halted river trade to the nearby hub of Obo, forcing local trade stores to shut down operations.

With water routes blocked, the only remaining access route for essential goods is the Aimbak-Kewe road, where hiring a vehicle now costs K600 one way.

Fuel prices in Lake Murray have also surged to K12 per litre.

Health workers in the region have reported an increase in cases of stomach pain, diarrhoea, malaria, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases.

Local authorities have confirmed that island schools in the Lake Murray area have closed down.

Lake Murray leaders say the situation is worsening rapidly and requires urgent intervention from both provincial and national authorities.

"Super El-Niño is real," a local resident from Boboa station told NBC News. "If the dry spell continues, people at Boboa station will leave for inland areas to find water and food."

James said the provincial disaster office will bypass initial assessments to expedite emergency relief.

"The plan from the Disaster Office is that we will not go and do assessments first," Mr James said. "We are planning immediate relief supply needs."

Community leaders say short-term aid will not solve the recurring crisis, urging the national and provincial governments to invest in long-term water security projects, including rainwater harvesting and permanent catchment systems.