Prabowo Orders Faster River Normalization in Sumatra, 39 of 137 Rivers Untouched
President Prabowo has ordered accelerated river normalization and sabo dam construction in disaster-hit Sumatra. Official data show only 55 of 137 affected rivers completed, while the Public Works Ministry targets 106 new sabo dams with six built so far.
President Prabowo Subianto ordered the acceleration of river normalization and the construction of sabo dams in flood-affected Sumatra during a limited meeting on 9 November, according to an official release by the State Secretariat published on 10 November.
Official data as of 9 November show that of 137 affected rivers — 31 in Aceh, 48 in North Sumatra and 58 in West Sumatra — only 55 have completed normalization, 43 are in progress and 39 have not been touched. Of 38 river mouths, 20 remain untreated. The Public Works Ministry targets 106 new sabo dams — 31 in Aceh, 39 in North Sumatra and 36 in West Sumatra — of which only six have been built.
Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian proposed three acceleration schemes: cooperation between regional governments and third parties using leftover disaster sand, stone and timber for local revenue; expanding delegation of authority to the district and city level; and assigning the military and police to clear sediment and build embankments. Officials recorded 41 post-disaster flood incidents between April and October 2026 that damaged completed works, figures given at a press conference and not yet field-verified.