The Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) is ready to conduct spatial audits, certificates and buildings along the borders of lakes and rivers in order to mitigate floods and maintain environmental health. Property entrepreneurs also support this policy and are prepared to anticipate it.
ATR/BPN Minister Nusron Wahid said the audit will be carried out in the near future before January-February 2026, usually in the January-February period the Jabodetabek area is flooded.
His party wants to mitigate floods in advance, especially in areas around Ciliwung, Cisadane, and Citarum, from reports that have come in, there are land certificates around these areas that can be canceled.
"We will check several buildings and ask the local government to cancel them in line with the border function," he said when met after the Coordination Meeting on the Border Area, in Jakarta (29/10).
The function of the border is to secure the river, to secure the water discharge, as a reservoir so that the water does not overflow into the land.
The Ministry of ATR/BPN will immediately issue land management rights (HPL) for river borders and trunks, that land located on river bodies and borders must be issued Land Management Rights (HPL) certificates on behalf of the state.
Harmonization of Regulations with Ministry of Public Works
Nusron said the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) and the Ministry of Public Works (Kemen PU) agreed to harmonize regulations related to river boundaries.
"It is expected that with this meeting with the Ministry of Public Works, we will first harmonize the regulations. The regulations must be uniform. One regulation on river boundaries is drafted together," he said.
According to him, there are two reasons for the meeting between ATR/BPN and the Ministry of Public Works, represented by Deputy Minister of Public Works Diana Kusumastuti.
The first background is that there are many buildings on riverbanks, reservoir borders, lake borders, situ and other water sources that cause flooding because of the buildings on the borders.
Second, there are many ATR/BPN officers who are then exposed to legal cases as a result of certifying land on riverbanks, let alone land in situ, lakes and so on.
Nusron said this happened because of different regulations. On the one hand, there is a regulation that says river borders are controlled by the state.
Support Audit Steps
Environmental observer Tarsoen Waryono said the steps taken by ATR/BPN that will conduct an audit of spatial planning around river borders must be supported.
If left unchecked, the impact of development around riverbanks is to increase the risk of flooding, landslides, and environmental damage, such as narrowing of riverbanks, siltation, and water pollution due to household waste. In addition, this development also violates regulations, potentially subject to legal sanctions (criminal and fines), up to demolition.
"Buildings on riverbanks narrow the space for water flow, increasing the risk of flooding during the rainy season. In addition, it can trigger landslides due to changes in soil conditions," he told SUAR in Jakarta (29/10).
Development reduces the natural width of riverbanks, disrupting their ecological function, People living along riverbanks often dump garbage and waste directly into the river, causing pollution and siltation.
Pollution and physical changes to rivers damage aquatic ecosystems and can disrupt the biota that live in them.
The Importance of Maintaining Riverbanks
President Director of Pesona Kahuripan Group Angga Budi Kusuma said that before building a project, his party will look at river boundary factors.
Protecting riverbanks means protecting the area along the riverbank from human activities that can damage the environment and disrupt the flow of water. This is done by establishing a boundary line, which is a safe distance from the riverbank that should not be occupied by buildings or other activities.
"Riverbanks provide space for water to overflow during high discharge, and prevent erosion of river banks," he told SUAR in Jakarta (29/10/2025).
Maintaining areas without permanent structures or waste is essential for the survival of the river ecosystem.
