Flooding remains one of Indonesia's most persistent urban challenges. Rapid urbanization, land-use change, environmental degradation, and climate-related pressures have increased flood risks in many cities, including Samarinda. As the capital of East Kalimantan, Samarinda has experienced recurring floods that disrupt transportation, economic activity, public services, and everyday life. Although the city government has invested heavily in flood control infrastructure over the past several years, questions remained about whether these policies had achieved their intended outcomes.
The researchers examined Samarinda's flood mitigation policy through the perspective of public policy evaluation rather than engineering performance alone. Instead of focusing only on the construction of drainage systems or other physical infrastructure, they assessed whether government policies effectively addressed the broader causes and impacts of flooding. Their evaluation considered six dimensions of policy performance: effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and appropriateness.
To conduct the study, the research team adopted a qualitative phenomenological approach between January and June 2025. Information was collected through field observations, in-depth interviews, policy document analysis, and government records. Participants included representatives from the Samarinda City Government, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR), regional planning officials, academics, journalists, community leaders, residents living in flood-prone neighborhoods, and transportation service drivers who regularly experience flood conditions. The researchers analyzed these data using William N. Dunn's public policy evaluation framework.
The findings show that Samarinda's Modern Drainage Development Program has delivered measurable improvements in several flood-prone locations. According to the study, 79.2 percent of respondents reported that flood conditions had improved compared with previous years. Residents also observed that floodwaters receded more quickly, allowing traffic, businesses, and public activities to recover faster after heavy rainfall. Areas such as Lembuswana Intersection, Sempaja Intersection, Alaya Intersection, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan S. Parman, and Jalan Dr. Sutomo experienced the most visible improvements.
However, the improvements were not evenly distributed throughout the city. Several neighborhoods, including Bengkuring, Rapak Dalam, Mugirejo, and Damanhuri, continue to experience recurring floods. The study attributes these continuing problems to multiple interacting factors, including river sedimentation, upstream runoff, declining water catchment areas, rapid urban expansion, and environmental changes associated with land-use conversion. These findings indicate that modern drainage infrastructure alone cannot eliminate flood risks across Samarinda.
The evaluation also found important weaknesses in the current policy. Although the flood mitigation program achieved positive results in terms of effectiveness, responsiveness, and appropriateness, it did not fully satisfy the criteria of efficiency, adequacy, or equity.
Key findings include:
- The Modern Drainage Development Program successfully reduced flood depth, duration, and frequency in several priority areas.
- Approximately 79.2% of respondents believed flood conditions had improved.
- Government responsiveness increased through faster infrastructure development and improved attention to flood-related public complaints.
- Flood mitigation benefits remain concentrated in selected urban areas rather than across the entire city.
- Major underlying causes of flooding—including watershed degradation, land-use change, reduced water catchment capacity, and upstream environmental pressures—remain insufficiently addressed.
- The researchers conclude that flood mitigation requires stronger coordination across sectors, improved spatial planning, watershed management, environmental conservation, and greater community participation.
The study also raises concerns about the efficiency of public investment. During the 2021–2024 period, the Samarinda City Government allocated approximately IDR 1.52 trillion to construct around 327,842 meters of modern drainage infrastructure. While these investments produced significant improvements in targeted locations, the researchers found that their benefits have not yet been proportional to the scale of flood problems affecting the city as a whole.
According to the researchers from Universitas Negeri Makassar, successful flood mitigation should not be measured solely by the amount of infrastructure built or the size of government spending. Their evaluation indicates that long-term success depends on integrating structural measures such as drainage systems with broader governance strategies that include watershed rehabilitation, land-use regulation, environmental protection, institutional coordination, and active community involvement. This integrated governance model is expected to improve urban resilience while addressing the root causes of flooding rather than only its immediate impacts.
The findings have implications well beyond Samarinda. Many rapidly growing Indonesian cities face similar challenges as urban expansion, environmental pressures, and climate variability increase flood risks. The study suggests that policymakers should combine engineering solutions with sustainable urban planning, ecosystem protection, and collaborative governance to produce more equitable and resilient flood mitigation policies.
As Andi Ade Lepu and colleagues from Universitas Negeri Makassar conclude, flood mitigation policies become more effective when they integrate infrastructure development with watershed management, spatial planning, cross-sector coordination, and community participation, allowing cities to build long-term resilience rather than relying solely on physical flood-control projects.
Author Profile
Andi Ade Lepu is a researcher in the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, Universitas Negeri Makassar. His research focuses on public administration, public policy evaluation, governance, and public sector management. This study was co-authored by Rifdan, Risma Niswaty, and Andi Kasmawati, who are also affiliated with the same department and contribute expertise in public administration and public policy.
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