Severe floods hit Indonesia, weather modification underway to reduce rainfall
Severe flooding triggered by heavy rainfall from March 2 to March 5, 2025, affected multiple regions in Indonesia, resulting in one fatality, submerging homes, displacing thousands, and damaging infrastructure. Weather modification operations began on March 4 to reduce rainfall, with interventions set to continue until March 8 and potentially resume on March 11 if needed.
Evacuation process of affected residents using rubber boats by Bekasi City BPBD on March 4, 2025. Image credit: BPBD
Heavy rainfall affecting Indonesia over the past couple of days triggered severe flooding across multiple regions, affecting thousands of residents, submerging homes, and causing damage to infrastructure.
Karawang Regency, Bekasi, South Jakarta, Dharmasraya, Bogor, Kalimantan, Riau, Lampung, and South Sumatra were among the worst-hit areas.
One person died in Cisarua, Bogor, after being swept away during a rescue attempt.
Floodwaters reached up to 2 m (6.6 feet) in Teluk Jambe, West Karawang, and Pangkalan Districts, submerging residential areas in Karangligar, Mekarmulya, Mulyajaya, Wanakerta, Tanjungmekar, Karawangkulo, Mulangsar, Ciptasari, Tamanmekar, and Tamansari Villages.
Severe flooding in Bekasi saw water levels rise to 3 m (9.8 feet) in some areas, inundating the Bekasi Mayor’s Office, Mega Bekasi Mall, and surrounding government buildings. The flooding followed an embankment collapse, leaving residents stranded in the upper floors of buildings.
Flooding in Rawajati Village, Pancoran District, affected 485 families, with water levels ranging from 50–150 cm (1.6–4.9 feet), displacing 1 446 people and submerging 224 houses.
In Tugu Selatan Village of Cisarua District, flash floods damaged 40 homes and destroyed seven bridges following heavy rains on March 2.
Flooding in Sembilan Koto and Koto Besar Districts followed heavy rainfall in upstream Solok, Sijunjung, and South Solok Regencies, with Batang Hari, Batang Pangian, and Batang Momong Rivers overflowing and cutting off key transport routes.
In South Kalimantan, Kalumpang District saw water levels ranging between 30–35 cm (11.8–13.8 inches), affecting 1 267 people. In Riau, over 1 800 residents in the Kampar and Kuantan Singingi Regencies experienced severe inundation, submerging homes and public infrastructure.
In Jakarta, the Ciliwung and Pesanggrahan Rivers overflowed, affecting six districts, displacing 30 people, and submerging 323 houses. In Lampung, flooding in East Lampung Regency resulted in water levels reaching 1.5 m (4.9 feet), impacting 36 homes. In South Sumatra, the Lukitan River overflowed, submerging 320 homes under 1.5 m (4.9 feet) of water.
A total of 3 659 families (10 180 individuals) were affected in Karawang Regency, with 375 residents evacuating to temporary shelters in Karangligar Village. In Bekasi, 297 families (600 people) took refuge in the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Logistics Warehouse evacuation post in Jatirasa, Jatiasih District.
In South Jakarta, 1 446 people were displaced, while in Dharmasraya, 1 235 people across 423 households were impacted, with 322 homes damaged. Across affected regions, numerous roads, bridges, and public facilities suffered damage, hindering access to emergency aid.
Large-scale relief operations have been launched, including evacuations, emergency shelters, and weather modification efforts to mitigate further damage.
Weather modification operations (OMC) were launched on March 4 to reduce excessive rainfall, deploying sodium chloride (NaCl) into rain clouds. Operations are scheduled to continue until March 8, with further interventions planned for March 11 if rainfall persists.
“Hopefully, with the weather modification, we can reduce it,” Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia’s weather agency said Tuesday.
“We can’t prevent the rain — that’s impossible — but we can reduce the intensity,” said Dwikorita.
BNPB Chief Lieutenant General TNI Dr. Suharyanto inspected flood refugee shelters in Bekasi City on March 5, ensuring adequate supplies and coordination for evacuations. BNPB Deputy for Emergency Response Major General TNI Lukmansyah surveyed South Jakarta on March 3, where relief efforts were ongoing.
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming and BNPB officials visited flood-hit areas in Jati Asih, Bekasi, on March 5, reassuring residents about emergency relief and long-term flood mitigation measures. The government focused on the urgency of improving drainage, infrastructure resilience, and implementing sustainable flood prevention strategies.
References:
1 Three Sub-districts in Karawang Regency Flooded Up to Two Meters – BNPB – March 5, 2025
2 Indonesia seeds clouds to stem rainfall after capital floods – AFP – March 5, 2025
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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