Jakarta Speeds Up Ciliwung River Normalization

JAKARTA – Jakartaweekly.com. The Jakarta Provincial Government has intensified efforts to resume the long-delayed Ciliwung River normalization project, with Governor Pramono Anung accelerating land acquisition in Cawang, East Jakarta, as part of a broader strategy to strengthen flood control across the capital.

Speaking during a site visit on Friday, Pramono said the government aims to complete land acquisition for all targeted plots in RW 03, Cawang, by the end of 2026. Of the 170 land parcels identified for acquisition, 62 have already been completed.

“Alhamdulillah, of the 170 targeted land parcels in RW 03, Cawang, 62 have already been acquired. We are targeting the completion of the entire land acquisition process by the end of this year,” Pramono said.

The land acquisition is considered a critical step toward continuing construction of river embankments that had been delayed for several years. Jakarta plans to build 33.69 kilometers of flood protection embankments, with 16.55 kilometers still requiring land clearance before construction can proceed.

Pramono said resuming the normalization program would significantly improve the river’s capacity and reduce the severity of flooding that has frequently affected communities along the Ciliwung River.

“This program continues a river normalization project that had been stalled for quite some time. We hope these efforts will increase the river’s capacity so that future flooding will no longer have the same devastating impact,” he said.

To support the initiative, the Jakarta administration has allocated Rp300 billion (approximately US$18.5 million) in the 2026 budget for land acquisition and flood mitigation projects covering the Ciliwung, Krukut, and Cakung Lama rivers.

The governor added that additional funding will be provided in 2027 to ensure the project remains on schedule. If implementation proceeds as planned, one of the main sections of the Ciliwung River in Cawang is expected to be fully normalized in time for Jakarta’s 500th anniversary celebrations in 2027.

River normalization forms part of Jakarta’s medium- and long-term flood management strategy, complementing other initiatives aimed at improving drainage infrastructure and increasing the city’s resilience against increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

Beyond the Ciliwung, similar normalization projects are planned for the Krukut River and Cakung Lama River, with the government targeting tangible improvements to flood protection across Jakarta by 2029.

Throughout 2026, the provincial government is focusing on acquiring approximately two kilometers of land in the urban villages of Cawang, Rawajati, and Pengadegan.

Officials said the land acquisition process in Cawang will serve as a pilot model for similar efforts in 14 urban villages along the Ciliwung corridor. Four locations—Cawang, Rawajati, Pengadegan, and Cililitan—have already been officially designated for land acquisition, while documentation is still being prepared for the remaining ten locations before formal designation can begin.

The Jakarta administration hopes the accelerated land acquisition process will remove one of the biggest obstacles to completing the river normalization program and provide long-term protection for residents living in flood-prone areas.