Task Force PRR Accelerates Utilisation of Driftwood as a Post-Disaster Recovery Strategy in Affected Regions
One of the impacts of the hydrometeorological disaster that struck Aceh, North Sumatra (Sumut), and West Sumatra (Sumbar) at the end of 2025 was the emergence of driftwood carried by flood currents.
As part of the rehabilitation and reconstruction strategy in the affected areas, the Task Force (Satgas) for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Post-Disaster Sumatra is continuously accelerating the utilisation of this driftwood through various methods.
During a press conference at the Bina Graha Building, Office of the President’s Staff, Jakarta, on Wednesday (25/3/2026), the Head of Satgas PRR, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, stated that they have designed a scheme for utilising driftwood as construction material for housing or industrial needs.
“Then, (it can) be used by the community to build (housing) themselves as well,” he said in a press release received by Kompas.com on Friday (3/4/2026).
The province of Aceh recorded 2,112.11 cubic metres of wood in North Aceh that has been utilised for building temporary housing (huntara), while 572.4 cubic metres of wood in Aceh Tamiang is awaiting local government (pemda) policy regarding its intended use.
Meanwhile, North Sumatra recorded 329.24 cubic metres of wood in South Tapanuli used to build huntara, social facilities, and public facilities. Additionally, 93.39 cubic metres of wood in Central Tapanuli has been used to support the recovery of affected residents’ homes.
In West Sumatra Province, specifically in Padang City, 1,996.58 cubic metres of driftwood has been handed over to the local government for utilisation according to rehabilitation and reconstruction needs.
The policy regulates the utilisation of driftwood resulting from disasters as a material resource to support emergency response, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
He also emphasised that parts of the driftwood that are small in size and uneconomical should, as much as possible, be utilised by local governments to support original regional income (PAD), for example, used as material for making bricks or fuel for power plants.
“The mechanism (is through) cooperation and the income becomes PAD,” said Tito.
Tito revealed that now the majority of driftwood piles in the three affected areas have significantly decreased.
“Driftwood in Aceh is about 70 percent handled, with 30 percent not yet handled, especially in remote areas. Then, in Sumbar, 99 percent handled. In Sumut, already 90 percent (handled) in Central Tapanuli and South Tapanuli,” explained Tito.