Rasio Ridho Sani, the ministry's Deputy for Environmental Pollution and Damage Control, said on Friday that the recent floods in the river basin were caused by a decline in the river's ability to manage and absorb water.
This decline resulted from land conversion, environmental destruction, pollution, and poor control of riverbank areas.
"The steps that need to be taken to improve the condition of the Ciliwung River Basin include restructuring the upstream area, considering the existence of land conversion in protected areas," he said.
He also highlighted the importance of rehabilitating environmentally damaged areas within the river basin.
According to Sani, institutional strengthening is also needed to accelerate pollution and damage control as well as environmental recovery in the Ciliwung River Basin.
Earlier, the Ministry of Environment stated that the sudden, rapid floods recorded in the Puncak area of Bogor, West Java—near the river basin’s upstream—reflect significant changes in the protected area that functions as a water catchment zone.
Four villages were affected by the floods: Citeko, Tugu Selatan, Tugu Utara, and Kuta. These areas, once protected, have been converted into agricultural, plantation, and residential zones.
The ministry recorded a decline in forest vegetation cover in the upstream Ciliwung River Basin, from 6,136.38 hectares in 2013 to 5,417.70 hectares in 2023. At the same time, the developed or open land area expanded from 1,623.20 hectares in 2013 to 3,603.47 hectares in 2023.
The ministry has taken legal enforcement measures against eight companies operating in the upstream Ciliwung River Basin.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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