Jakarta – A new warning regarding health threats caused by climate change has emerged in a recent study by the Centre for Economic and Law Studies (Celios). The report confirms that climate change is projected to worsen Indonesians’ health in the coming decades, particularly through increased communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as direct impacts on people’s physical and mental health.
Celios researcher Lay Monica explained on Friday, 21 November, that rising temperatures, ecosystem changes, and increasingly frequent natural disasters will put enormous pressure on the national health system.
“Rising temperatures, ecosystem disruption and the frequency of natural disasters are projected to worsen the physical, mental and social conditions of Indonesian society in the coming decades,” she said.
According to Lay, climate change is also triggering the spread of various diseases. Areas that were previously too cold for mosquitoes to breed are now warming up, potentially becoming new habitats for disease vectors such as malaria and dengue fever.
“These temperature changes can turn cold areas that were previously unsuitable for mosquito breeding into warm areas that are comfortable for the breeding of vectors and disease seeds,” said Lay.
The study emphasises that the impact of climate change extends beyond increasing the risk of disease. Extreme temperature rises, droughts, floods, and forest fires are also expected to increase workplace accidents, reduce community productivity, worsen air quality, disrupt food security, and threaten mental health.
“These impacts have the potential to hinder the progress that has been made in improving public health and alleviating poverty in Indonesia,” Lay added.
The Celios study was conducted from 20 August to 22 September 2025, using a systematic review method in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
Of the 428 scientific publications reviewed—covering the PubMed database, IPCC reports, and The Lancet Countdown publications—only eight articles met the criteria for further analysis. These findings reveal that scientific evidence regarding the impact of climate change on public health in Indonesia remains very limited.
“The results of the study show that there is still limited scientific evidence specifically examining the impact of climate change on health in Indonesia. Therefore, additional research that is more contextual is needed,” said Lay.
Celios urges the government to strengthen disease surveillance systems and health worker preparedness, including increasing investment in climate-based health research. On the other hand, cross-sectoral policy integration—health, social, and environmental—is considered essential to address the increasingly apparent climate crisis.
“Without swift, consistent and data-driven adaptation measures, the burden of disease and economic and social losses due to climate change will continue to increase in the coming decade,” Lay emphasised. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2024)
