West Sumatra spends on flood recovery, from sofas to tree planting

The West Sumatra provincial government approved a Rp399 million budget to purchase two high‑end sofas for the governor’s and deputy governor’s official residences. Officials said the cost is comparable to building six homes for flood‑victim families, highlighting the contrast between luxury spending and reconstruction needs after the November 2025 flash floods and landslides that caused roughly Rp33 trillion in damage.

In parallel, the province planted 1,000 tree seedlings in the Malvinas City Forest area of Padang as part of an environmental rehabilitation program. The planting, involving provincial agencies, local governments, state‑owned enterprises, community groups and volunteers, aims to restore riverbanks and mitigate future flood risk. Authorities also warned that sediment buildup in the Batang Kuranji River must be cleared to prevent repeat flooding.