The weather in Lombok has been erratic over the past few months. While Lombok should have entered the dry season, the rain continued to fall. On Sunday, July 6, 2025, rain continued to fall incessantly across Lombok. This led to the flooding.

Chronology of the 2025 Lombok Floods

Heavy rain continued to fall from 2:00 PM WITA (Central Indonesian Time). The rain, with moderate to heavy intensity, lasted for several hours, accompanied by lightning and strong winds, causing rivers to overflow and flooding residential areas.

Around 4:00 PM WITA (Central Indonesian Time), the rising river water level began to inundate homes in various areas of Mataram City. In several areas, the water level began to rise and rise. According to Radar Lombok, the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) recorded at least nine locations affected by flooding. These include the Sweta Timur neighborhood (Mayura Village), BTN Riverside (in front of the Avalokitesvara Temple), Gedur neighborhood (Abiantubuh Baru Village), BTN Sweta (Mandalika Village), Pengempel Indah and Kebon Duren neighborhoods (Bertais Village), and the Kekalik Gerisak and Gomong areas.

Several material impacts have been reported, including the collapse of the perimeter wall of the Sandubaya Integrated Waste Processing Facility (TPST) onto the highway, a fallen tree in the Dasan Agung area (in front of the Inspectorate Office), and a car swept away by the floodwaters at BTN Riverside. Not only that, several trees fell in several areas, forcing traffic to stop.

The latest news, according to Radar Lombok, reported two fatalities in the flood. Mataram Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Hendro Purwoko, S.I.K., M.H., reported that two residents reportedly died from electrocution during the flood. The first victim was a man (30) in Narmada District, and the second was a woman (50) in Ampenan.

Causes of the Lombok Floods

As reported by Suara NTB, NTB Governor, Dr. H. Lalu Muhamad Iqbal revealed three main issues that caused the flooding that hit several areas in Mataram City on Sunday, July 6, 2025, from afternoon to evening. These three main issues were river silting, garbage, and bridges along the river that were still too low. The main factor in the flooding was the large amount of garbage carried by the river, causing it to overflow and inundate homes and offices. There was also the problem of excessive garbage in the river, which blocked the water flow.

Indeed, the waste problem in Indonesia is often reminded of, but is often ignored by the public. Therefore, it is important for us as humans to recognize the importance of protecting and preserving nature. Data from ANTARA News and published by the Environment Agency (DLH) indicates that the amount of waste in Lombok in 2025, especially during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Central Lombok, reached 600 tons. That’s just in one district; the total amount of waste in Lombok is certainly enormous.

If this continues, natural disasters like flooding will continue to occur. The 2025 Lombok floods should serve as a wake-up call, reminding the public to be more aware of reducing and not littering, especially dumping it in rivers.

How to Reduce Waste

There are various ways to reduce waste.

1. Reduce. If you don’t need to buy, you can use products you want to buy by utilizing items around you. You can also reduce waste by bringing your own food and drink containers from home, bringing eco-friendly bags when shopping, and using your own straws and cutlery. These small actions help the environment by reducing waste.

2. Reuse. If you have items that can be reused or repurposed, you can create art with them. You don’t have to buy them; you can be creative with reusable waste.

3. Recycle. You can turn waste into new, useful items. For example, you can use organic waste as fertilizer, or you can turn plastic flower pots into bags for resale.

It is time, seeing the many natural disasters that have hit Lombok, especially the 2025 flood which was the worst flood on record, it is time for us as Lombok residents to reduce and protect our environment by wisely choosing waste and reducing it.