Jakarta – The Ministry of Environment (KLH) says the impact of climate change is increasingly apparent and is beginning to threaten national economic stability. Not only does it cause extreme weather, but global warming is also expected to reduce agricultural productivity, decrease water availability, and lower Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the coming decades.
Director of Climate Change Adaptation at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Franky Zamzani, during a public consultation on the drafting of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) held online on Friday, October 30, revealed that climate change has shifted from an environmental issue to a complex national economic problem.
“Various studies show that climate change has the potential to reduce national economic performance in a number of strategic sectors such as food, water, energy, and health,” he said.
Franky explained that the food sector is the most vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns could cause rice and corn productivity to decline by an average of 0.92 per cent per year, with a loss of 4.3 million hectares of farmland by 2050.
“Fruit and vegetable production could potentially decline by 5–7 per cent, while the plantation sector could decline by up to 9 per cent,” he explained.
This decline is not only a threat to food security but also to the national economy. In aggregate, losses in the food sector could reduce GDP by between 0.18 and 1.26 per cent.
The water crisis is drawing nearer
In addition to food, the water crisis is another serious threat caused by climate change. Water availability is expected to decline by up to 27 per cent, especially in densely populated areas and major agricultural regions. This decline is equivalent to a loss of 5.5 million cubic hectometers of water per year. “If not anticipated, this decline in water availability could erode the national GDP by around 0.43 per cent,” said Franky.
These conditions have the potential to cause conflicts over water resources, worsen agricultural irrigation, and hamper the industrial and energy sectors that depend on water supplies.
Climate change also has broad implications for public health. Changes in rainfall patterns and temperatures can expand the spread of endemic diseases such as malaria, including in areas that were previously free of the disease.
Meanwhile, in the energy sector, rising extreme temperatures can increase electricity demand for air conditioning while also increasing the risk of damage to power generation infrastructure from extreme weather.
National adaptation plans are the main guide
Deputy for Climate Change Control and Carbon Economy Governance (PPITKNEK) at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ary Sudijanto, explained that the drafting of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) began in May 2025. This document will serve as Indonesia’s strategic guide for strengthening cross-sectoral climate resilience.
“In less than six months, we drafted a document that involved many parties—ministries, institutions, academics, civil society, vulnerable groups, youth, and children,” he said.
The public consultation held last Friday was the final stage before the official document is submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat in November. To date, only 68 countries worldwide have submitted their National Adaptation Plans.
Ary said that the NAP serves as a national adaptation policy framework for utilising global resources and funding to strengthen the resilience of communities and ecosystems to climate change.
“Indonesia is not only committed to reducing emissions, but also to improving climate resilience as part of sustainable development,” he said.
The NAP will also integrate various strategic documents, such as the National Development Planning Agency’s Climate Resilient Development, the Ministry of Health’s health sector adaptation policy, and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s climate adaptation roadmap. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2024)
