Ministry of PUPR Optimizing Flood Control Infrastructure to Prepare for the 2022/2023 Rainy Season

In building infrastructure, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) aims to support economic growth, which is also beneficial for natural disaster mitigation. As a readiness to face the 2022/2023 rainy season and simultaneously anticipate hydrological disasters, the Ministry of PUPR, through the Directorate General of Water Resources (SDA), will optimize the operation of water storage infrastructure to control the volume of water entering rivers.

Director General (Dirjen) of Water Resources, Jarot Widyoko, said that some factors causing flooding include: the narrowing of water catchment areas, damage to watersheds (DAS) or reduced quality, quantity, and continuity of river functions, as well as the impact of extreme weather due to global warming.

"About 80% of rainwater catches enter the river, so it is necessary to control runoff so that it does not enter the river. The Ministry of PUPR has duties commensurate with rivers as well as constructing flood control infrastructure and water reservoirs," said Jarot Widyoko during a press conference related to Infrastructure Readiness for the Rainy Season and Anticipation of Hydrological Disasters at the PUPR Ministry, Thursday (29/9/2022).

The Directorate General of Water Resources carried out various strategies to minimize flooding in Indonesia by coordinating the Central River Basin (BBWS/BWS), including optimizing reservoirs, retention ponds and weirs, flood control tunnels, floodways, flood control pumps, and increasing awareness and inventory heavy equipment.

"The allocation of water is based on the results of analysis and information on rain forecasts by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG)," said Jarot.

The Ministry of PUPR has collaborated with BMKG in utilizing meteorological, climatological and geophysical data. The data is used to make flood predictions, update flood event maps and forecast flood potential maps. Based on the BMKG rain forecast for 2022/2023, the start of the rainy season will occur evenly throughout Indonesia from September to October, with the peak of the December-January rainy season.

"The map of the distribution of disaster events during January-August 2022 is 712 events, so it is necessary to increase coordination between ministries/agencies, local governments, TNI/Polri, and the community as a form of anticipation and increased preparedness," said Jarot.

Based on data from the Ministry of PUPR, there are 215 water reservoirs with a total capacity of 7.17 billion m3, 3,464 reservoirs with a total storage volume of 262.89 million m3 and 107 lakes with a total volume of 11.97 billion m3.

In addition to monitoring water reservoirs, the PUPR Ministry also optimizes flood control infrastructure, such as 1,971 km long embankments and 129 km of coastal protection. Infrastructure for controlling lava, cold lava flood, and sediment through utilizing 58 sabo dams and 126 check dams.

In addition, 332 ponds have been prepared with a total capacity of 60.04 million m3, 192 flood control pumps with a flow capacity of 263,365 m3/second, flood control tunnels with a capacity of 2X334 m3/second, and 10 retention ponds with a total capacity of 3.07 million m3.

Also attending the event were Expert Staff of the Minister of PUPR for Technology, Industry and Environment Endra S. Atmawidjaja, Director of Rivers and Coasts, Directorate General of Natural Resources Bob Arthur Lombogia, and Head of the Public Communication Bureau of Pantja Dharma Oetojo.