Jakarta – The Pekalongan City Government is now better prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change thanks to the Vulnerability Index Data Information System (SIDIK) application. This application was designed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) to help local governments identify climate vulnerabilities at the village and sub-district level, and develop appropriate adaptation strategies.
In a talk show themed “SIDIK for Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation” held at the 2nd Environment, Climate, Forestry and Renewable Energy Festival (LIKE-2) in Jakarta, MoEF Inspector General, Laksmi Wijayanti, explained that SIDIK had received a prestigious award from the United Nations, the United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) in June 2024. This award was given for SIDIK’s contribution in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“This system is not only a technical tool, but also an important input in policy-making, education, and decision-making at various levels, both by the government, academics, and the wider community,” Laksmi said in her statement, on Tuesday, August 13.
SIDIK has been implemented in various regions in Indonesia. MoEF, according to Laksmi, has provided technical assistance to nine provinces, 31 districts and 16 cities to use SIDIK in developing climate change adaptation policies. One of the regions that has utilised SIDIK is Pekalongan City.
MoEF’s Director of Climate Change Adaptation, Irawan Asaad, emphasised the importance of SIDIK in the context of Indonesia being vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
“With the increasing frequency and intensity of hydrometeorological disasters, SIDIK is crucial in supporting more climate-resilient governance, as well as a tool to increase the capacity and climate literacy of the community,” Irawan said.
On that occasion, the Head of Pekalongan City Bappeda, Cayekti Widigdo, stated that SIDIK has been used in the preparation of the Regional Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation in his city.
“Most of the indicators we use are sourced from SIDIK, but we also add specific indicators related to the problem of tidal floods that often hit our coastal areas,” Cayekti explained.
Through SIDIK, Pekalongan can calculate the level of vulnerability to climate change, and determine priority actions for each neighbourhood. Some of the resulting programs include the Climate Village Program (ProKlim), Resilient Coastal Areas, and Disaster Resilient Villages. These programs are designed to strengthen community resilience in facing various climate risks.
Dian Afriyanie from ITB who also attended the discussion provided recommendations for the future development of SIDIK. According to her, there needs to be a stronger methodology to calculate sector-specific vulnerability and develop spatial-based analysis. “The vulnerability indicators used must be generic to represent real conditions that can be compared across time and regions,” Dian suggested.
With the growing utilisation of SIDIK, it is expected that regions in Indonesia will be better prepared to face the challenges of climate change, especially in protecting the most vulnerable communities. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Public service innovation SIDIK (Vulnerability Index Data Information System) from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) has won an award at the United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) 2024. The award was presented on June 26, 2024 in Incheon, South Korea. (Source: PPID, MoEF)
