Enviro News Asia, Bogor — The upper Ciliwung River basin in Puncak, Bogor Regency, has been made a priority area for environmental restoration and law enforcement.
This decision was taken due to the area’s high risk of landslides, while environmental degradation—particularly land-use change—continues to occur.
On Saturday, July 5, for example, flooding and landslides in the Puncak area of Bogor Regency claimed three lives.
The disaster affected seven villages in Cisarua and Megamendung subdistricts. It was triggered by extreme rainfall reaching 150 millimeters over two consecutive days.
Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, emphasized the urgency of environmental law enforcement and comprehensive rehabilitation in this disaster-prone area. “We cannot allow unregulated development to continue in high-risk areas without proper environmental considerations,” Minister Hanif stated in an official press release on Monday (7/7/2025).
Puncak is a mountainous area with steep slopes that is ecologically fragile. However, land-use conversion, weak spatial control, and unchecked construction without environmental approval have exacerbated environmental degradation and increased disaster risks.
During a field visit to the affected locations in Tugu Utara Village and Al Barosi Islamic Boarding School, Minister Hanif stressed that the Ministry of Environment will take firm action against illegal development and environmental damage in the upper Ciliwung and Cileungsi River Basins.
The Ministry, along with experts in soil degradation, ecotoxicology, hydrology, and spatial planning, is monitoring several businesses and buildings in the Puncak and Sentul areas.
Their investigation found two categories of environmental violations: activities carried out without permits, and activities conducted with permits that still caused significant environmental impact.
As a follow-up, Minister Hanif has coordinated with the Regent of Bogor to evaluate and revoke environmental approvals for nine businesses or activities whose permits overlap with those of PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII.
In addition, the Ministry has issued administrative sanctions, including demolition orders and cessation of activities for 13 other companies.
In the near future, demolition will be carried out on four tenants operating in the Gunung Mas Agro-tourism area: CV Sakawayana Sakti, PT Taman Safari Indonesia, PT Tiara Agro Jaya, and PT Prabu Sinar Abadi—all of which are collaborating with PT Perkebunan Nusantara I Regional 2.
The Ministry also advocates for a comprehensive review of spatial planning based on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS), which serves as the foundation for regional planning. “KLHS is a critical reference to ensure spatial planning aligns with environmental carrying capacity and can help prevent recurring ecological disasters,” Minister Hanif explained.
Beyond law enforcement, Minister Hanif also highlighted the importance of rehabilitating landslide-prone areas, including planting soil-binding vegetation and involving local communities in reforestation, education, and construction monitoring.
“Rehabilitation of landslide-prone areas cannot be delayed. We must start with concrete actions like planting soil-binding vegetation,” Minister Hanif added.
To support science-based policymaking, the Ministry of Environment will conduct technical studies on the geological conditions, soil characteristics, and vulnerability levels of the Puncak area.
The West Java Provincial Government has also been urged to expedite the evaluation of all existing environmental approval documents. (*)
