RRI.CO.ID, Semarang - The Central Java Provincial Administration is preparing a comprehensive forest rehabilitation program as a long-term strategy to mitigate recurring landslides on Mount Slamet. This initiative follows a series of floods and landslides that have plagued the region since 2022.

Widi Hartanto, Head of the Central Java Environment and Forestry Agency (DLHK), remarked that rehabilitation efforts will focus on areas where vegetation cover has significantly declined. Replanting programs will be prioritized for thinning protected and production forest zones.

Widi emphasized that strengthening environmental carrying capacity is critical to withstand extreme rainfall. "The Central Java Provincial Administration has also formally proposed to the Forestry Ministry that the Mount Slamet forest area, which spans five regencies, be designated as a National Park," he announced on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

According to Widi, recent disasters are purely attributable to natural factors, specifically upstream rainfall reaching 100–150 mm per day.

"These conditions cause rapid surface runoff, significantly increasing the risk of erosion and landslide. The Penakir Sub-watershed, which includes Pulosari and Moga, is dominated by steep to very steep slopes," he said.

Furthermore, he clarified that the loose latosol soil structure in the area exacerbates the situation, as it quickly becomes saturated and loses its binding capacity. This technical assessment serves to debunk public rumors regarding the cause of the disasters.

"The floods and landslides are not related to mining activities. The loose nature of latosol soil makes it highly prone to saturation, leading to a loss of stability and subsequent movement," he added.

Earlier, Central Java Deputy Governor, Taj Yasin, conducted a field inspection and observed numerous uprooted plants with fresh roots washed away by the currents.

This finding has strengthened the administrations’ resolve to petition the central government for a change in status for the protected forest to ensure maximum conservation and safety.

The administration reiterated that the landslides on the slopes of Mount Slamet were triggered by extreme weather events rather than mining operations, a conclusion supported by technical studies from the Central Java Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Agency. (Annaila Azzahra/Bambang MBKA)