Legal Literacy – Severe flooding has hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra since November 25, 2025, until this article was written. Uninterrupted heavy rain triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar has paralyzed access and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.
Cyclone seed 95B, detected by BMKG since November 21 in the eastern waters of Aceh, triggered a massive air mass meeting. As a result, flash floods and landslides hit three provinces simultaneously, leaving behind extraordinary damage.
Update on Casualties and Disaster Impact
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) continues to update data on the handling of this hydrometeorological disaster. In a press conference at Silangit Airport (28/11/2025), the Head of BNPB, Lt. Gen. TNI Suharyanto, mentioned that the temporary total number of victims reached 174 dead, 79 missing, and 12 injured.
The following are the details of the distribution of victims by region:
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North Sumatra (Worst Affected): Recorded 116 fatalities and 42 people missing. The affected areas include North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, Sibolga, Humbang Hasundutan, Padang Sidempuan, and Pakpak Barat.
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Aceh: Recorded 35 deaths, 25 missing, and 8 injuries. The worst affected areas are Bener Meriah, Southeast Aceh, and Central Aceh. A total of 4,846 families were displaced.
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West Sumatra: Recorded 23 deaths, 12 missing, and 4 injuries. Evacuation points are spread across 50 locations (South Coastal, Padang, Solok, etc.) with a total of 3,900 families.
In addition to the casualties, vital infrastructure is completely paralyzed. The Sidempuan–Sibolga national route and the North Sumatra–Aceh border are cut off by landslides. In Aceh, bridge damage in Meureudu hampers logistical connectivity between regencies. In fact, access to Gayo Lues and Central Aceh was completely isolated for a time.
Ecological Disaster: The Result of Massive Deforestation
This major flood is not merely a natural phenomenon, but rather an ecological disaster resulting from poor spatial planning. The Ministry of Forestry highlighted the drastic decrease in forest cover in the Watershed (DAS) due to land conversion into Other Use Areas (APL).
The watershed damage data is very concerning:
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Aceh: The proportion of APL reaches 100% in the Krueng Geukeuh Watershed, 81% in the Krueng Pasee Watershed, and 59% in the Krueng Keureto Watershed.
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North Sumatra: The Aek Pandan Watershed has 85% converted into APL. The Badiri and Sibuluan Watersheds are even dominated by APL to almost 90%.
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West Sumatra: The Anai Watershed and its surroundings have experienced land conversion between 45% and 98%.
Sarekat Hijau Indonesia asserts that this is a "disaster harvest" from the uncontrolled expansion of extractive industries (palm oil, mining, hydropower) since the 1990s.
Polemic on Disaster Status and "Java-Centric" Response
Amidst the crisis, a polemic has emerged regarding the disaster status. The central government insists on maintaining the status as a regional disaster, not a national disaster.
The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, and the Head of BNPB argued that local governments were still capable of handling the situation and that the determination of a national disaster has very limited precedents in Law No. 24 of 2007.
However, this argument has drawn sharp criticism:
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Delayed Response: Instructions for large-scale assistance from the President only came down on November 28, even though the disaster started on the 25th.
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Paralyzed Regional Capacity: Facts on the ground show that many areas are isolated and communication is cut off, which indicates the inability of the regions to handle the impact independently.
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Media Bias: The lack of national television coverage compared to if the disaster occurred in Java reinforces the perception of unequal attention.
Constitutional Review: The State Potentially Violates Citizens' Rights
This unequal response raises serious questions regarding the state's constitutional obligations. The slow handling and minimal attention in Sumatra potentially violate the principle of non-discrimination (Article 27 paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution).
The state is also jeopardizing the fulfillment of citizens' rights to a safe environment (Article 28H paragraph 1) and the obligation to provide equal public services (Article 34 paragraph 3). If the pattern of "stepchild" treatment towards regions outside Java continues, the state has neglected the constitutional rights of its own citizens.
This tragedy must be a turning point. The central government must ensure that every life from Aceh to Papua is as valuable as a life in Java. Without improvements in environmental governance and equality in handling, we are only waiting for time until a similar tragedy recurs.
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