PORTALJABAR, BEKASI REGENCY - Acting Regent of Bekasi, Asep Surya Atmaja, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Flood Management between the Bekasi Regency Government and the Ciliwung Cisadane River Basin Center (BBWS) of the Directorate General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works in the Meeting Room of the Bekasi Regent's Building, Central Cikarang, on Tuesday (10/3/2026).

The Acting Regent of Bekasi expressed his appreciation to the Ciliwung Cisadane River Basin Management Agency (BBWS) for responding to various community aspirations regarding flooding problems in Bekasi Regency.

Through this memorandum of understanding, the Bekasi Regency Government together with the Ciliwung Cisadane River Basin Management Agency (BBWS) will design a number of strategic steps in flood control efforts, including planning the development of flood control infrastructure and strengthening the water resources management system.

"Going forward, we, together with the BBWS, will plan various mitigation efforts, including the construction of embankments in the Muaragembong area, so that the impact of the flooding can be minimized," he said.

He explained that the flooding in Bekasi Regency was influenced by various factors, including high rainfall, water inflow from upstream areas, and tidal flooding on the northern coast. This situation is exacerbated by Bekasi Regency's geographic location downstream, making it a confluence point for water flows from several surrounding areas.

"Bekasi Regency is located in the downstream region, so water from upstream areas ultimately collects in our region. Furthermore, heavy rainfall and tidal flooding in coastal areas also exacerbate the flooding," he said.

He emphasized that flood management cannot be done in a piecemeal manner, but rather requires a comprehensive approach, from upstream to downstream, through cross-regional and cross-agency collaboration. Therefore, the Bekasi Regency Government continues to push for more comprehensive mitigation efforts, including through coordination with the West Java Provincial Government and the central government.

"I have also conveyed to the provincial government that the handling of the problem should not only involve normalizing the river in the downstream area, but also include improvement efforts in the upstream area so that water flow can be better managed," he explained.

Meanwhile, Acting Director of Rivers and Coastal Areas at the Directorate General of Water Resources at the Ministry of Public Works, Mochammad Dian Alma'ruf, stated that the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was the first step in strengthening coordination and implementation of flood management programs in Bekasi Regency. He stated that synergy between the central and regional governments is crucial in ensuring that various flood control plans can be implemented in a targeted and sustainable manner.

He hopes that the agreed cooperation can become the basis for implementing various flood prevention and control programs so that the potential for annual flood disasters in the Bekasi Regency area can be gradually reduced.

"Hopefully, after this memorandum of understanding, we can implement flood prevention efforts effectively according to the plans that have been prepared, so that in the future we can reduce or even eliminate the potential for annual flooding in Bekasi Regency," he said.

Also present at the event were the Assistant for Economic Affairs and Development, the Heads of relevant Regional Agencies, and the Acting Head of the Ciliwung-Cisadane River Basin Management Agency (BBWS) and his staff. (Bekasi Regency Government Leadership Coordination Meeting/rka)