Architects urge safer Flores rebuild as 5,649 homes recorded damaged

Labuan Bajo — Indonesia’s architects used their 2026 national working meeting in Labuan Bajo to push for safer reconstruction in Flores after the August earthquake, as local authorities reported 5,649 damaged houses in West Manggarai Regency with 357 categorized as severely damaged, according to the regent and government data.

The national working meeting of the Indonesian Architects Association (Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia, IAI) ran in Labuan Bajo from 12 to 18 September 2026 under the theme “#IAIHadir – Bersama Bergerak Indonesia Berdampak,” meaning “IAI Is Present – Moving Together for Impactful Indonesia,” according to RRI coverage of the event.

Deputy Minister of Public Works and Housing Diana Kusumastuti told participants the Flores earthquake must become a “wake-up call” for how high‑risk areas are planned and built, stressing the need to strengthen standards in disaster‑prone regions, according to RRI’s report from the meeting’s opening session on 15 September.

Diana said disaster risk should be considered across the full construction cycle, from initial planning and architectural design through construction and maintenance, and called for compliance with earthquake‑resistant standards and Indonesia’s Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung (PBG) building approval system, according to the same report.

She also urged that post‑disaster recovery proceed quickly but in stages, starting with verification of damage data and the mobilisation of resources before rehabilitation and reconstruction, according to her remarks quoted by RRI.

Local architects and community‑based rebuilding

In a separate report, RRI quoted Diana encouraging greater involvement of architects based in the regions, including Nusa Tenggara Timur, in public projects ranging from schools and cooperatives to other community facilities.

She argued that regional architects bring local knowledge that can help ensure new buildings reflect community conditions and traditions while meeting safety standards.

Coverage of the meeting also highlighted comments from IAI leadership that architects should work with communities rather than arrive only with ready‑made solutions, placing participation and local knowledge alongside structural safety in post‑disaster rebuilding.

These priorities align with a “build back better” approach emerging from the meeting: rebuilding homes and public facilities to higher safety standards while retaining local character and involving affected communities in planning and design.

Damage figures in West Manggarai

West Manggarai Regent Edistasius Endi told RRI that 13,656 houses had been recorded in the regency’s post‑earthquake verification, of which 5,649 fell into official damage categories ranging from light to severe.

The regent said 357 houses were classified as severely damaged and confirmed that these were not located in Komodo District or the town of Labuan Bajo, according to RRI.

An official release from the West Manggarai administration provides a more detailed breakdown of the 5,649 damaged houses as of 9 September 2026: 3,892 lightly damaged, 1,400 moderately damaged and 357 severely damaged, representing about 41 per cent of the 13,656 houses verified at that time.

According to the same release, the figures are based on field verification teams working across West Manggarai, with the classifications used to guide decisions on repair, rebuilding and assistance.

Tourism and infrastructure after the quake

The IAI meeting took place one month after a magnitude‑7.7 earthquake struck near Flores on 15 August 2026.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority (BPOLBF) said in August that tourism activity in Labuan Bajo had largely returned to normal, with major hotels and key attractions operating and only minor damage reported at most facilities, while safety checks and monitoring continued.

BPOLBF said Komodo National Park and several other attractions in Manggarai Barat, including Batu Cermin and Puncak Waringin, had reopened by 24 August, and that tourism stakeholders could obtain updated information through its hotline.

Officials have also reported impacts on transport infrastructure elsewhere in Nusa Tenggara Timur, including damage to roads and bridges, and the deputy public works minister has linked reconstruction to stronger standards for more resilient infrastructure.

Taken together, the government and IAI messages point to a reconstruction agenda in Flores that combines faster recovery with tighter controls on building and infrastructure, greater use of verified damage data and greater participation by regional architects and local communities in designing safer, context‑appropriate buildings.

Sources

• RRI.co.id – Rakernas IAI di Labuan Bajo Dorong Pembangunan Flores yang Tangguh Pascagempa
• Tribun Kupang – Rakernas IAI, Arsitek Dorong Flores Bangkit dengan Bangunan Lebih Aman Bencana
• Info Mabar – Data Rumah Korban Gempa di Mabar Diekspose, Bupati Edi Apresiasi Tim Verifikasi Lapangan
• BPOLBF – Pariwisata Labuan Bajo Kembali Berjalan Normal, BPOLBF Lanjutkan Pendataan Dampak Gempa di Floratama