lereng

Lereng is a term in Indonesian and Malay that denotes the incline or side of a hill or mountain. It refers to the slope of terrain between the crest and the base and describes any landform where the ground rises at an angle rather than being flat.

The characteristics of a lereng include its steepness, length, and stability. Slope steepness, often referred to as kemiringan or grade, affects drainage, soil depth, and vegetation. Steeper lereng tend to experience faster erosion and are more susceptible to landslides, especially during heavy rainfall or seismic events. The stability of a lereng is influenced by geology, soil type, vegetation cover, and human activities such as construction or deforestation.

In geography and land-use planning, lereng is an important factor in mapping, agriculture, forestry, and urban development. Slopes influence where settlements are located, how water drains, and which crops or forestry practices are suitable. On hillside terrain, agricultural systems may employ terracing and contour planting to reduce erosion on the lereng and to conserve soil moisture.

In everyday language, lereng can describe any hillside feature, such as the lereng bukit or lereng gunung, and is commonly used in topographic descriptions and maps. See also related terms such as kemiringan (gradient), bukit (hill), gunung (mountain), and topografi (topography).