8 Kilometers of Driftwood Cleared, to be Used as Raw Material for Temporary Shelters in Sumatra
INFO TEMPO — A large accumulation of driftwood, spanning eight kilometers along the Sumatran coast following a disaster, is now being put to good use. The logs are being cleared and utilized to build temporary shelters for residents affected by the floods.
This effort has been formalized through a decree issued by the Minister of Forestry, Number 191 of 2026, concerning the utilization of wood originating from the Sumatra disaster. The decree, issued on February 24, 2026, serves as the legal basis for utilizing the driftwood remaining from the Sumatra floods.
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The issuance of this decree is an adaptive response to the changing phases of disaster management in Sumatra, transitioning from the emergency response phase to the acceleration of rehabilitation and reconstruction.
During the emergency response phase, the primary focus of the government was on saving lives and mitigating risks, particularly in preventing illegal logging. In the acceleration of rehabilitation, the main challenge has shifted to managing the accumulation of debris and wood waste.
“If not addressed promptly, this accumulation will hinder access, disrupt economic activities, and potentially create new environmental and social problems,” said Deputy Minister of Forestry, Rohmat Marzuki, in a statement on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Prior to the signing of this decree, the Ministry of Forestry had already been actively involved in the field, fulfilling its role as a member of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) following the disaster. The PRR Task Force was established through Presidential Decree Number 1 of 2025, which appointed the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, as the Chairman of the Task Force. As a result, the Ministry of Home Affairs serves as the National Command Post and a center for coordinating approximately 30 ministries/agencies in the recovery efforts in Sumatra.
Rohmat stated that the Ministry of Forestry has two main tasks within the Task Force: clearing the wood and facilitating the provision of land. “To accelerate the process, the ministry has formed a Task Force for the Acceleration of Clearing Flood-Affected Wood in three affected provinces. This task force involves local governments, the Ministry of Forestry’s technical units, as well as elements of the TNI (National Armed Forces) and Polri (National Police),” he said, as quoted in the statement.
He cited the acceleration efforts already underway in Pantai Padang, West Sumatra, as an example. The clearing of wood is being carried out along an eight-kilometer stretch through collaboration between the provincial government, the Padang City Government, the state-owned enterprise PT Semen Padang, and the community. “The wood resulting from the clearing is being used for the construction of temporary shelters, meeting the needs of residents, and as fuel for industry,” he said.
In addition to Padang, the clearing of remaining driftwood is also taking place in the Garoga River Basin, North Sumatra; the Darul Mukhlisin Islamic Boarding School, Aceh Tamiang; and in several other locations in North Aceh. Most of the driftwood is being processed as raw material for temporary shelters. According to data from the Ministry of Forestry, the temporary shelters are 6x6 meters in size, are stilt houses with a terrace, two bedrooms, and one living room. In their construction, the ministry, led by Raja Juli Antoni, is collaborating with Rumah Zakat, Tangguh, and Bulaksumur Peduli. Interestingly, the design of the temporary shelters was developed by a team of researchers from Gadjah Mada University, who created a prototype before its implementation in the field. The Ministry of Forestry is also prepared to facilitate the provision of land in forest areas if requested by the BNPB (National Disaster Management Agency) or local governments. For temporary housing, the mechanism of approval for the use of forest areas will be used, while for permanent housing, the release of forest areas will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the legislation. The Chairman of the PRR Task Force, Tito Karnavian, emphasized that, in addition to the construction of temporary shelters, the government will also ensure the basic needs of survivors while they are staying in the shelters. “Those in the temporary shelters will be provided with a communal kitchen, and their meals will be provided,” he said during a coordination meeting some time ago. Tito’s statement reaffirms that the ministries/agencies involved in the PRR Task Force are actively coordinating. This is in line with the mandate of President Prabowo, that synergy is key to the rehabilitation of affected areas in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra so that recovery can take place quickly and effectively. (*)