Drafting the Detailed Spatial Plan (RDTR) Requires Clarity on Territorial Boundaries to Avoid Failure
Directorate General for Regional Administration Development within the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Bina Administrasi Kewilayahan) emphasised that the preparation of the Detailed Spatial Plan (RDTR) requires certainty about administrative boundaries, particularly the delineation of regional borders, so that the spatial planning process does not fail. This was stated by Safrizal ZA at a coordination meeting on the preparations for the RDTR for 2026 in Jakarta. The forum was convened to strengthen the quality of spatial planning, control the use of space, digitise spatial planning, integrate with the national development planning system, and secure certainty in business licensing.
According to Safrizal, the Directorate General plays a strategic role in safeguarding the substance of the RDTR through the delineation of cross-border boundaries, inter-regional borders, disaster mitigation investigations, and supporting certainty in business licensing.
“Tata ruang akan gagal susun apabila wilayah administrasi gagal diselesaikan. Batas wilayah yang ada usulan peninjauan kita terima (peninjauan kembalinya), tapi produk yang sudah ada jadikan dulu tata ruang. Namun demikian, tata ruang bukan menjadi satu-satunya alat justifikasi penyelesaian batas wilayah,” Safrizal said.
He explained that there are currently 979 boundary segments in Indonesia. Of these, 806 segments have been established through the Ministerial Regulation of Home Affairs (Permendagri), 142 segments are still in the designation process, and 31 segments are in the facilitation stage.
In addition to inter-regional boundaries, some areas that directly border other countries also require clear administrative understanding of international borders. Safrizal noted that there are 81 RDTR locations situated in border zones.
In the border region context, he regarded these areas no longer as the country’s backyard but as a front porch with strategic value in defence, economy, and public service.
Therefore, synchronisation of national border data and regional boundary data is considered important so that the entire spatial planning process can operate in a cross-agency, integrated manner.
Safrizal also stressed that the 2026 RDTR should pay more comprehensive attention to disaster risk mitigation. He said that spatial planning today is not only a development instrument but also a tool for protecting communities against potential disaster risks.
“RDTR must be able to read the vulnerability of an area. Flood-prone, landslide-prone, earthquake-prone, and tsunami-prone zones must be considered from the planning stage so that development does not, in fact, create new risks,” he said.
The coordination meeting was also attended by officials from several ministries and agencies, including the Directorate General of Spatial Planning of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency, the Deputy for Regional Development Equality, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, the Deputy for Environmental Management and Sustainable Natural Resources of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, as well as representatives from the Geospatial Information Agency, the Investment Coordinating Board, and Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
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