Indonesia's Riau Swaps Fire Hoses for Dinghies as Floods Submerge Villages

The Indonesian province of Riau is grappling with a dramatic and swift weather reversal, forcing disaster mitigation agencies to pivot from combating forest fires to addressing severe flooding. What began as preparations for a long dry season, marked by widespread forest fires, has transformed into a crisis of inundation following intense rainfall in recent days.

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In addition to houses, several public facilities such as musholla (prayer hut), schools public health centres and village offices are also inundated, disrupting activities in several villages.

Across Kuantan Singingi, Indragiri Hulu, and other affected regencies, the Kuantan River and other waterways have overflowed, submerging hundreds of homes and critical public facilities like prayer huts, schools, and health centers. The rising waters, some reaching knee-deep, have disrupted daily life and paralyzed economic activities, leaving many residents facing dire shortages of essential supplies, particularly food.

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The condition is deplorable. Pematang Reba sub-district is Indragiri Hulu regency’s administrative seat but there was no special attention from the regency.

Local disaster agencies, like the Kuansing BPBD, are working tirelessly to monitor the situation, register losses, and request emergency aid. However, the scale of the flooding, exacerbated by high rainfall in upstream areas of neighboring West Sumatra, means the water levels are still potentially rising. The situation in areas like Pematang Reba, the administrative seat of Indragiri Hulu, which is prone to flooding, has been described as the worst in five years, highlighting a critical need for improved infrastructure and disaster preparedness. From an Indonesian perspective, this rapid shift underscores the unpredictable nature of our climate and the constant need for vigilance and robust response mechanisms, even as we battle other environmental threats like forest fires.

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We call on residents, especially those living along riverbanks, to remain vigilant about the potential of continued floods, especially if rainfall remains high.