Restoring the Rights of Rivers

Surabaya is confronting the challenge of rapid urbanisation and climate change through the latest phase of the Kalianak River normalisation project. The programme, which involves marking hundreds of buildings in the Krembangan and Asemrowo districts, aims to restore the river’s natural space and hydrological function.

Authorities view the river not just as a waterway, but as a vital piece of urban infrastructure whose boundaries have been slowly erased by development. The narrowing of the river channel has been identified as a major factor affecting the city’s drainage capacity, turning what should be a flow path to the sea into a source of flooding.

The third phase of the project reflects a broader paradigm shift in urban water management. Rather than solely relying on new pump houses or secondary channels, the city is focusing on ensuring the entire water network functions as a single, interconnected system. This includes widening channels, dredging sediment, and enforcing spatial planning regulations to reclaim the river’s designated buffer zones, ensuring it can accommodate high water discharge during extreme rainfall.