Jakarta, March 26 -- The Sumatra Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force has set river restoration as a critical long-term priority to revive irrigation for local rice fields and aquaculture ponds.

The task force's chair, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, said in Jakarta on Thursday that the move is essential to support residents who depend on the primary economic sectors such as agriculture and fisheries.

According to data from the task force, the majority of rivers affected by floods and landslides in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra in late 2025 have experienced shallowing due to sedimentation.

"The rivers are a priority for us. This will take a long time because there are many of them," he said in a stat...