KBRN, Jakarta: Last week's floods and landslides in northern Sumatra caused by Tropical Cyclone Senyar became one of the highlights in an Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) hearing session with the country’s Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. It was held at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday (12/3/2025).

At the hearing, Hanif explained that the disaster affected 23 river basins in northern Sumatra. He cited the Batang Toru river basin in North Sumatra, the origin of most victims in that province, where human activities contributed to the deadly disaster.

"Batang Toru river basin has very vulnerable landscape characteristics, since it is like a V-shaped landscape, and North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli are located in the middle of it. Meanwhile, the activities on the hillside are no longer sufficient to support the environment," he said, as quoted from the House's social media channel.

At least 23 river basins throughout northern Sumatra were affected by Tropical Cyclone Senyar. (Photo: YouTube/Indonesian House of Representatives)

He noted the extremely high rainfall in the Batang Toru river basin as well as in the nearby city of Sibolga and the province of Aceh. He said the rainfall in the basin at the time of the event was about 300 to 400 mm/hour.

“For Aceh, the recorded rainfall is actually also very high at 400 mm. However, because of it's flat landscape, the destructive impact is higher than that of the Batang Toru river basin. The same goes for Padang (Padang Pariaman Regency, West Sumatra), because its landscape is short, which also causes extraordinary damage,” he said.

Hanif also highlighted the decline in forest cover in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra since 1990. The reduction is up to tens of thousands of hectares, with the Batang Toru river basin having the highest decline.

"In Batang Toru, there has been a reduction of forest cover reaching up to 19,000 hectares," he said.

See also:

House Urges Environmental Education to Break Disaster Cycle

UN Extends Condolences and Offers Assistance Following Great Sumatra Floods

Govt Continues to Deliver Aid to Disaster-Stricken Sumatra

Therefore, he said the Ministry of Environment is committed to strengthening environmental functions, such as regulating permits in critical areas and rehabilitating ecosystems. Responding to widespread environmental damage in the disaster locations due to mining and illegal logging, he stressed that all parties involved in harming the environment must be held legally accountable.

"Of course, we must not merely blame nature. Therefore, in this situation, we are committed to stating that all those who cause additional damage in this case must be held legally responsible. We will undertake all necessary legal approaches to bring about a sense of justice from this situation," he conveyed.

Hanif added that the Ministry of Environment will summon the heads of companies that have contributed to environmental damage, based on satellite imagery assessment. The ministry will request explanations from those company leaders and will begin investigative steps related to the disaster.