Dedi Mulyadi on Natural Damage That Causes Floods and Landslides: The question is, Who Colonized It?

FAJAR.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, has again been outspoken regarding natural damage in Indonesia which is getting worse from time to time.

His statement came in the midst of widespread flood and landslide disasters in Sumatra and a number of other regions in Indonesia.

Dedi compared Indonesia’s natural conditions during the colonial period with the era of independence which had lasted more than eight decades.

Dedi said that environmental damage became even more massive after Indonesia became independent.

“The Dutch colonized Indonesia for 350 years, the mountains are still intact. The ocean is still wide, the rivers are clear, he (the Dutch) left the plantations lying,” said Dedi, quoted on Wednesday (10/12/2025).

He also touched on the legacy of colonial era infrastructure which he considered to be of much higher quality than many developments today.

“Beautiful buildings, sturdy buildings, strong roads, strong railway bridges,” he continued.

This condition, said Dedi, is inversely proportional to what happened 80 years after Indonesia became independent.

He touched on the destruction of mountains, river pollution, and the quality of development which he considered to be declining.

“Indonesia has been independent for 80 years. The mountains are bare, the rivers are murky, debts are mounting,” said Dedi.

“There are almost no quality buildings, roads are easily damaged, bridges easily collapse,” he added.

The former Regent of Purwakarta then touched on a question which he considered to illustrate his disappointment with environmental governance in the country.