Yogyakarta Allocates IDR 7.5 Billion for Riverbank Reinforcement Projects
The Yogyakarta City Government is intensifying the construction and maintenance of riverbank reinforcements across several rivers. The budget allocated for this work is approximately IDR 7.5 billion.
Recently, Yogyakarta has experienced heavy rainfall. To minimize the occurrence of landslides and riverbank collapses, the City Government is accelerating the repair of vulnerable riverbanks.
Riverbank collapses have occurred frequently in Yogyakarta. One of the most severe incidents occurred on Saturday, January 17th, at a riverbank along the Buntung River in Kricak, Tegalrejo. A 10-meter section of the riverbank collapsed due to erosion from the river current, causing a nearby community center to partially collapse.
The rainfall in Yogyakarta remains high. The Yogyakarta City Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) plans to extend the hydrometeorological disaster alert status until March.
“We are still awaiting directions from the BMKG (Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics). Once the guidance is issued, we will formulate the extension. The plan is to extend it until March 2026,” explained the Head of the Emergency and Logistics Task Force of the Yogyakarta City BPBD, Petrus Singgih Purnomo, in a written statement on Monday, February 23rd, 2026.
Given these conditions, the Yogyakarta City Government continues to strengthen riverbank infrastructure as a risk mitigation measure against landslides and erosion caused by extreme weather.
Rahmawan Kurniadi, Head of the Water Resources and Drainage Division of the Yogyakarta City Public Works, Housing, and Spatial Planning Department, explained that some of the riverbanks in Yogyakarta still use old construction methods, relying on stone embankments.
According to the 2025 Technical Data on Rivers and Riverbanks in Yogyakarta, compiled by the Yogyakarta City Public Works, Housing, and Spatial Planning Department, the total length of riverbanks along the three main rivers reaches 36,156 meters. Of this total, 25,040 meters (69.26%) are in good condition, while the remaining portion requires phased improvement.
“There are still quite a few stone embankments. Some areas even lack riverbank reinforcement. We are now upgrading the structure to make it stronger, with a concrete foundation embedded about 1.5 to 2 meters below the riverbed, and the walls are made of reinforced concrete,” explained Rahmawan.
This year, Rahmawan said, the riverbank work is divided into two parts: the construction of new riverbanks and incidental repairs in disaster-prone areas. Some of the vulnerable areas include Ngampilan, Baciro, and Gambiran.
“Most of the damaged structures are old, mostly still made of stone. If they are old and continuously eroded by the current, they are indeed vulnerable,” he said.
The construction of new riverbanks this year will focus on the Winongo River through two projects, in the Bener and Pakuncen areas. In the Bener area, most of the area does not yet have permanent riverbank reinforcement. In Pakuncen, the old riverbank is being upgraded to a reinforced concrete structure to be more robust and resistant to strong currents.
“The riverbank in Notoprajan, which runs along the Winongo River, is currently being addressed, so our team is immediately deployed to strengthen the affected structure as a rapid response to the riverbank damage,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the riverbanks in the Baciro and Prenggan areas are still in the planning stage for repairs,” Rahmawan added.
Regarding the riverbank collapse in the Kricak area, which runs along the Buntung River in January, the repair work also involved the Serayu Opak River Basin Center (BBWSO).
“Gabions, when the wire is worn out, lose their strength. Stone embankments, if they do not have a foundation and reinforcement, will eventually erode,” explained Rahmawan.
Furthermore, Rahmawan added that the City Government is allocating a budget of approximately IDR 7.5 billion for the construction and maintenance of these riverbanks.
“Around IDR 7.5 billion is allocated for the construction and maintenance of riverbanks. This budget includes new construction, routine maintenance on the three rivers, and incidental repairs, with an allocation of about IDR 2 billion,” he said.
“The strengthening of riverbanks and ongoing maintenance are expected to reduce the risk of riverbank landslides, while also protecting the safety of residents living on the riverbanks,” he added.
(dil/apl)