Siberut Island's Forest Loss Triggers Frequent Floods, Impacting Residents

In Malancan Village, North Siberut, West Sumatra, Indonesia, a mere three hours of rain can cause the Sirilanggai River to overflow, frequently inundating residents' homes and roads. By midday, the water level has risen over a meter. The kitchens and bathrooms of Barnabas Saerejen, a local community leader, were not spared from the flood that day. "The water will slowly recede after the rain stops," he said in early July. Despite the rising floodwaters, some residents continue to go to their fields. They walk through the flood, carrying 'oreks' (traditional Mentawai bags for carrying harvest) while children play soccer in the field near the village. Barnabas says floods are not new to the villagers. Their village is situated on low ground, making it prone to flooding when the river overflows. However, in recent years, the frequency has increased. Previously, major floods occurred only once a year, but now, almost every time it rains for two hours, flooding is almost certain. According to him, floods have become more frequent since the forests in the upstream areas began to be opened for logging activities. He cannot scientifically confirm that logging is the cause of the increasing frequency of floods. However, as someone who was born and raised in the village, he personally feels the changes in river flow and forest conditions compared to decades ago. "If it rains for more than two hours, especially if it's quite heavy, we are definitely flooded," he said. The major flood at the end of November 2025 is the event that remains most vivid in the residents' memories. For nearly three weeks, the flood submerged most of the North Siberut sub-district. Residents' homes were inundated, agricultural land was damaged, and community activities were paralyzed. This article was originally published on Mongabay