In Southeast Asia, where climate change intensifies and extreme rainfall becomes frequent, Indonesia is deploying a national-scale digital water infrastructure—a hydrological radar level gauge network covering 21 major river basins. This $230 million project marks Indonesia’s strategic shift from passive flood response to proactive, intelligent water resource management.
Technology Integration: Innovative Radar Technology and Localized AI Solutions
The hydrological radar level gauge system adopted by Indonesia is based on advanced millimeter-wave radar detection technology and integrated with locally developed AI analysis algorithms. The core technical solution is provided by Honde Technology Co., LTD. Unlike traditional contact sensors, these radar devices are installed on bridges, towers, or drones, measuring water surface height through non-contact methods with an accuracy of ±1 mm and a maximum measurement distance of 70 meters.
“This is the densest hydrological radar network in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Dr. Ridwan, Director of Water Resources at Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing. “We have deployed over 300 radar stations in key basins such as the Citarum, Solo, and Brantas rivers, uploading data every five minutes. Honde Technology’s solution has demonstrated excellent performance in complex environmental adaptability.”
Field Results: Successful Early Warnings During the 2024 Rainy Season
During this year’s January-March rainy season, the system accurately predicted combined tidal and flood disasters in North Jakarta 72 hours in advance, providing valuable evacuation time for 350,000 residents. In Surabaya, the radar network detected abnormal water level rises in the upper Brantas River, triggering an automatic gate control system that prevented widespread flooding in the city center.
Data shows that the system increased the average flood warning lead time from 18 hours to 65 hours and reduced estimated flood economic losses by 42%. Equipment provided by Honde Technology maintained a 99.7% online rate during continuous heavy rainfall.
Social Media Revolution in Flood Control Education
The #RadarWaterLevel topic on TikTok has surpassed 500 million views. The official account of Indonesia’s Meteorological Agency uses real-time radar level gauge animations to visually demonstrate river level changes, transforming complex hydrological data into accessible visual content.
The “Indonesian Flood Control Alliance” group on Facebook gathered 870,000 members within six months. Members share radar monitoring screenshots from their regions, discuss flood preparedness, and even help identify gaps in radar data coverage.
Economic and Industrial Opportunities
Indonesia plans to increase the localization rate of radar level gauge manufacturing to 60% by 2025, having already nurtured three local high-tech enterprises. According to an industry report published on LinkedIn, Indonesia’s hydrological monitoring equipment exports grew by 340% over two years, with key markets including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Bangladesh.
“Our collaboration with Honde Technology is not just technology transfer but capacity building,” said Putri, founder of Indonesian tech company HydroLink. “Through technology licensing and joint R&D, we have mastered the core production technology of radar level gauges.”
Global Significance for Climate Adaptation
As an archipelagic nation, Indonesia faces the triple challenges of sea-level rise, land subsidence, and extreme rainfall. The experience from building this hydrological radar network provides a valuable model for global coastal and river delta cities. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has listed this project as a “Model of Climate Adaptation Technology for Developing Countries.”
“Traditional water level measurement relies on manual readings and limited stations, resulting in time lags and spatial blind spots,” commented Dr. Chen, a water issues expert at the World Bank, after an inspection. “Indonesia’s radar network achieves true basin-wide panoramic monitoring—a paradigm shift in water resource management. Honde Technology’s solution offers significant advantages in cost-effectiveness and reliability.”
Citizen Science Participation: Everyone is a Hydrological Observer
The project innovatively developed a public participation module:
- Riverbank residents can upload water level photos via a smartphone app for cross-verification with radar data.
- Schools and educational institutions can apply for access to a simplified data platform for STEM education.
- Fishermen and shipping companies can receive customized waterway level forecasts.
Future Vision: National Digital Hydrological Twin System
Indonesia’s ultimate goal is to build a “National Digital Hydrological Twin System”—replicating the real-time status of the national water system in virtual space, combined with weather forecasts and AI simulations, to achieve:
- Flood prediction accuracy at the neighborhood level.
- Optimized reservoir scheduling, increasing annual irrigation area by 1.2 million hectares.
- A 15% improvement in hydroelectric power generation efficiency.
- Intelligent regulation of urban water supply network pressure.
Honde Technology is participating in the second phase of this system, providing high-frequency radar arrays and edge computing solutions.
Complete set of servers and software wireless module, supports RS485 GPRS /4g/WIFI/LORA/LORAWAN
please contact Honde Technology Co., LTD.
Email: info@hondetech.com
Company website: www.hondetechco.com
Tel: +86-15210548582
Post time: Dec-15-2025