Jakarta (ANTARA) – 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 statement.Task force records show that dozens of rivers in the affected areas are in varying conditions, ranging from heavy sedimentation and damaged embankments to changes in the river's natural course.In Aceh, 55 rivers were affected and require a phased response. The damage is spread across North Aceh, Pidie, Pidie Jaya, Bireuen, Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, Langsa, East Aceh, Aceh Tamiang, South Aceh, West Aceh, Nagan Raya, Southeast Aceh, and Subulussalam.In North Sumatra, 48 rivers were impacted, spreading over Central Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, North Tapanuli, Humbang Hasundutan, Sibolga, Medan, Deli Serdang, Langkat, Serdang Bedagai, Mandailing Natal, and Batu Bara.Meanwhile, in West Sumatra, 43 affected rivers were recorded across Padang, Padang Pariaman, Pasaman, West Pasaman, Solok, Tanah Datar, Agam, and South Pesisir.According to Karnavian, river restoration is carried out with two main approaches: emergency handling to anticipate further impacts, and rehabilitation and reconstruction to ensure permanent repairs.He cited the scattered geographical conditions of the affected areas as a unique challenge for the restoration efforts, making them different from disasters concentrated in a single location.Nevertheless, the task force ensured that management efforts are running in line with the recovery of other sectors.To date, most national roads are fully functional, and logistics distribution is no longer obstructed, supporting the acceleration of river restoration across various regions.Additionally, the government is ensuring that the restoration efforts are integrated with the recovery of other sectors, such as agriculture, aquaculture ponds, and residential areas located along the river basins.Karnavian emphasized that post-disaster recovery is measured not only by the decrease in the number of displaced residents but also by the region's ability to become safe and productive again, including in terms of river management.