Flood Uncovers Indonesia’s Truth: Suffering from Endless Greed
Deadly floods devastate Aceh, North Sumatra; villages destroyed, lives lost.
(Photo: ANTARA/Yusrizal)
Indonesia is grieving once more after massive floods struck regions of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. Heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides that carried debris, including large logs, through villages, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.
While authorities often describe these events as natural disasters, experts highlight that deforestation has exacerbated their impact. Satellite images reveal extensive forest loss in affected areas, with cleared hillsides reducing the land's ability to absorb rainfall. Over the years, forests have been converted for plantations, mining, and other uses, contributing to soil erosion and intensified flooding.
As of now, neither President Prabowo Subianto nor the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has declared the floods and landslides in these provinces a national disaster. When asked on November 28 whether the situation would be elevated to national status, President Prabowo stated, “We are continuously monitoring the situation. We are sending aid. We will assess the conditions,” as quoted by BBC News Indonesia.
Bitter Irony
Before this disaster began, one of the most influential figures in the country said people shouldn’t worry about deforestation.
Watching that clip now hits differently. The shrugging attitude, the “this is normal” energy, the total lack of empathy for land that’s been stripped for decades, and that mindset isn’t just dangerous — it’s exactly why disasters keep happening not just in North Sumatra, Aceh, or West Sumatra, but across Indonesia.
BNPB Chief Suharyanto said on November 29 that while social media portrayed a “terrifying” situation, on-site assessments showed it was manageable in most areas. He noted, “Look at North Sumatra—it looked terrifying yesterday, but now the only seriously affected area is Central Tapanuli,” and maintained that it remained a provincial-level disaster.
Declaring an event as a national disaster is actually regulated by Indonesia’s Law Number 24 of 2007 on Disaster Management. According to Article 7, Paragraph 2, the indicators include the number of casualties, damage to property, destruction of infrastructure, the size of the affected region, and the social and economic impact.
Indonesia’s Law Number 24 of 2007 on Disaster Management outlines criteria for national disaster status in Article 7, Paragraph 2, including casualties, property damage, infrastructure destruction, affected area size, and socioeconomic impact. However, specific thresholds require a Presidential Regulation, which has yet to be established. Recovery efforts continue amid ongoing challenges.
