Climate Risk Profile: Indonesia

This profile provides an overview of climate risk issues in Indonesia, including how climate change will potentially impact agriculture, water, human health, coasts and fisheries, and forests and biodiversity. The brief includes an overview and climate summary of the country, as well as projected climate changes. Also included is information on the policy context and information regarding ongoing climate change projects in Indonesia. 

Climate variability and change increasingly threaten Indonesia’s coastal population and infrastructure, as well as the country’s ecologically and economically important tropical forests and coastal ecosystems. With 81,000 km of coastline and 42 million people living on low-lying land less than 10 meters above sea level, Indonesia is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to sea level rise. Rising seas are projected to submerge 2,000 of the country’s smaller islands by mid-century, and 5.9 million people annually are estimated to be affected by coastal flooding by 2100. Indonesia is vulnerable to other weather-related disasters such as forest and land fires, landslides, storms and drought that have destroyed infrastructure and degraded forest and coastal ecosystems, leading to loss of life, property, ecosystem services and livelihoods. 

Indonesia is addressing climate change through presidential commitments and legislation. The National Medium Term Development Plan for 2015– 2019 identifies a green economy as the foundation for the country’s development program, including focus on increasing climate resilience. The Directorate General of Climate Change in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry coordinates climate change policies and international positions. The National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) mainstreamed climate change into national planning through the Climate Change Sectoral Roadmap.

Find other country and regional climate risk management resources here.