President Prabowo Prioritizes River Restoration to Prevent Further Flooding in Sumatra Island

During a limited cabinet meeting at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (11/09), President Prabowo Subianto ordered accelerated river restoration as the top priority in post-disaster recovery efforts in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces.

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, who also leads the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra, said at least 41 subsequent flood events were recorded across the three provinces between April and October 2026. These floods caused further damage to recently repaired infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and areas already cleared of mud and debris.

“Therefore, the President ordered the immediate restoration of rivers. This is the main priority. A total of 137 rivers have been affected,” the Minister said in a statement following the meeting.

Of the 137 affected rivers, 31 are in Aceh, 48 in North Sumatra, and 58 in West Sumatra. The Government is also managing 38 river mouths across these three provinces. While restoration efforts have been completed at seven sites and are currently underway at 11 others, the remaining 20 have yet to be addressed.

“The President specifically emphasized that river restoration must be a priority. When sediment levels are high, the rainfall can cause rivers to overflow their banks, resulting in further flooding,” he explained.

The Ministry of Public Works will lead the accelerated efforts, supported by regional governments, the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and other relevant parties. Regional governments are also encouraged to use allocated funds to speed up the restoration process and reinforce embankments in their respective areas.

The Government is also preparing weather modification operations to reduce the likelihood of extreme rainfall in areas still recovering. The President has also tasked the TNI and Polri, particularly their engineering units, with clearing river sediment and constructing embankments.

The Minister said regional governments could reinstate emergency response status if subsequent disasters caused widespread damage. This measure enables faster budget utilization and emergency response processes to meet the needs of the affected communities.

The Minister also said the President has ensured this budget support is available, allowing ministries and agencies to begin early preparations and bidding processes so work can start immediately at the beginning of the year. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (FI/MMB)