In addition to the rain, floods in Klaten were worsened by damaged river revetments

Jakarta — The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said that in addition to the high intensity of rainfall, the floods that briefly inundated five sub-districts in Klaten Regency, Central Java, were aggravated by damage to river revetments serving as barriers to the flow. Abdul Muhari, head of the BNPB Data, Information, and Disaster Communications Centre, said in a briefing in Jakarta on Friday that heavy rain in the area damaged the revetments, causing water to overflow and flood five sub-districts on Tuesday, 3 March. Information compiled by the BNPB’s Directorate for Operational Co-ordination and Control shows 121 residents fled their homes; some took shelter at tactical posts prepared by the local government at Balai Desa Cawas. BNPB confirmed more than a thousand houses were affected, including 13 educational facilities, one health facility, 19 places of worship, and one police sector office. Although he did not provide detailed information on the condition of the damaged revetments, he said the incident warrants the attention of local government, including the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the people of Klaten. He said preparedness must be strengthened in terms of personnel, equipment, and emergency planning so that disaster response can be carried out quickly and accurately. In addition, the community together with local government can take simple mitigation steps, such as clearing drainage, inspecting the condition of revetments and river embankments, and pruning dense tree branches to reduce the risk of fallen trees. He noted this is important given the potential for extreme weather issued by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) during 5-7 March 2026, with most of Indonesia, especially Java Island, still potentially experiencing rain of moderate to heavy intensity that may be accompanied by strong winds.