Indonesia targets 2028 completion for Sumatra disaster recovery

Indonesia is embarking on a three-year plan to permanently recover from the devastating Sumatra disaster that struck in November 2025. Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian announced the commencement of the permanent recovery phase, targeting completion by 2028.

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Now we will start the process towards permanent recovery.

The government has developed a master plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction, which will be executed in phases. "Now we will start the process towards permanent recovery," Karnavian stated after a coordination meeting. This plan, compiled from data across various government levels and agencies, will guide the extensive rebuilding efforts.

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So, from those three stages, emergency response, transition, now we enter the phase towards permanence. We call it 'rehab-rekon' (rehabilitation and reconstruction), and the key is 'renduk' (master plan).

The permanent recovery will encompass 11,512 activities, including the construction of essential infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, and permanent housing for affected communities. The immediate priority for 2026 is infrastructure, rivers, and schools.

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This master plan is compiled from all regencies/cities, provinces, and ministries/agencies, and then it is aligned. From this alignment, by Bappenas, then our Task Force will also adjust, it will be completed within three years, 2026, 2027, 2028.

The disaster, characterized by flash floods and landslides, impacted 52 regencies and cities in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh. It resulted in a tragic death toll of 1,207 people, with 137 still missing six months later. The ecological catastrophe also severely damaged homes and public facilities.

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The priority in 2026 is infrastructure, rivers, roads, then schools, and others.