Climate change in Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the countries most affected by changes in the world's climate. Because of its many islands and long coastlines, Indonesia faces big challenges from rising ocean levels and extreme weather like floods, storms, and droughts. The country's huge tropical forests play an important role in helping balance the climate by taking in carbon dioxide from the air.

Indonesia also contributes a lot to greenhouse gas emissions because of cutting down forests and using coal for power. This affects the country's farming, economy, and health. Even though Indonesia has promised to cut down its emissions under international agreements like the Copenhagen Accord and the Paris Agreement, many people in the country still do not believe that climate change is happening.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Indonesia is one of the world's largest producers of greenhouse gases because of its large deforestation and forest degradation. Since 2010, Indonesia has been part of the REDD+ program (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), which helps developing countries lower deforestation and forest damage to cut down greenhouse gas emissions. The country works with many groups to set up systems to watch emissions and forest health, and to create rules that help reach these goals. This program not only lowers emissions but also protects biodiversity and helps local people. However, there are challenges like poor governance, not enough money, and land ownership problems.

Besides REDD+, Indonesia can use other ways to fight climate change, like sustainable forest management and agroforestry. These help balance money, people, and nature by caring for forests and keeping their carbon. Even though Indonesia wants to cut emissions by 29% by 2030, it hasn’t made much progress. Emissions went up by 2.2% from 2014 to 2019 because of not enough money, many coal-fired power plants, and continuing deforestation. The government plans to use more renewable energy sources and stop using coal, but it needs stronger actions and better rules to make this happen.

Impacts on the natural environment

Temperature and climate change projections

Indonesia has a tropical climate with warm temperatures and high humidity. There are wet seasons from November to April and dry seasons from May to October. Scientists predict that temperatures in Indonesia will rise by about 1.6 °C by 2050 and 3.9 °C by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow.

Changes in rainfall patterns are harder to predict because Indonesia's weather varies so much by region. We may see longer periods of heat and more extreme weather such as droughts and flooding.

Marine ecosystems

Indonesia has the world's largest archipelago, meaning many people live near the coast and depend on the sea for food. But climate change is harming these ecosystems. Warmer oceans and more carbon dioxide can damage coral reef areas, making them fade in color and die. This hurts many sea creatures that depend on coral reefs.

Higher sea levels are also a problem, especially for low-lying areas. This can erode coastlines, flood lands, and harm important habitats like mangrove forests, which are home to many fish and other sea life.

Terrestrial environment

Climate change affects land areas too. Indonesia loses many forests each year due to farming and logging. This not only removes trees that absorb carbon dioxide but also harms animals that live in the forests. Extreme weather like forest fires adds more carbon dioxide to the air.

Many areas, especially around forests, are changing due to human activities. This puts pressure on wildlife and natural spaces.

Peatlands and fire

Peatlands are wet lands that store a lot of carbon, helping to reduce climate change. But in recent years, many peatlands in Indonesia have been damaged by fires and clearing for farms. These fires release huge amounts of carbon dioxide and pollute the air, harming health and adding to climate change.

Biodiversity

Indonesia is rich in plants and animals, but many are at risk. Loss of habitats, climate change, and other factors are causing some animal groups, like Sumatran elephants and tigers, to decline in number. Forests, especially mangrove forests, are also disappearing, which affects fish and other sea animals.

Sea level rise and land subsidence

Jakarta is sinking because of too much water being taken from underground and too little clean water available to everyone. As the ground sinks and sea levels rise, much of northern Jakarta could be underwater by 2050. Because of this, Indonesia plans to move its capital to a new city on the island of Borneo.

Impacts upon people

Indonesia's way of life for millions depends on farming. Important crops like palm oil, cocoa, coffee, rice, and tobacco help feed the country and bring in money. But warmer temperatures and long dry spells can hurt how much food grows and make pests and sicknesses in plants more common. Some places may get too much rain, while others may not get enough, which also affects farming.

Indonesia has a lot of sea and many people work in fishing. But warmer water and less oxygen can mean fewer fish. Also, changing weather patterns can make traditional fishing ways unsafe. The country has many forests and mines, but climate change brings more fires, floods, and damage to the land. This hurts both nature and jobs.

Tourism and trade are important for Indonesia's economy. Rising sea levels may wash away beaches and islands that people visit. Hotter weather can also make travel less pleasant and hurt the number of visitors. Climate change can also make it harder to grow food and move goods, which affects trade both locally and across the country.

Health can also be affected by climate change. Hot weather, poor air, and dirty water can make people sick with problems like breathing issues, diseases spread by insects, and not having enough good food. This shows how important it is to act on climate change to keep people healthy.

Mitigation and adaptation

Indonesia has worked to lower its greenhouse gas emissions since the Conference of Parties in 2009, also called the Copenhagen Summit. The country promised to cut emissions by 26% on its own and up to 41% with help from other countries by 2020. Indonesia created a program to support friendly environmental practices, especially in farming areas, by giving money to farmers. This helps protect soil and prevents forest fires and landslides. The government also put a pause on giving out permits to clear forests, though some people are not sure if this will slow down deforestation much. Indonesia set up protected parks and wildlife areas to conserve forests. In 2015, the country shared its plans to cut emissions by 29% by 2030 with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Local efforts include supporting renewable energy through special pricing for clean energy and building geothermal power plants.

Indonesia is part of the Paris agreement and aims to cut emissions by 29% by 2030. The country also wants to reduce emissions from forests and restore damaged land. Indonesia is trying to use more clean energy, planning to reach 23% renewable energy by 2025 and 31% by 2030. However, Indonesia still has a lot of work to do to meet these goals. The country has taken steps to better manage forests and conflicts, but it still lost a lot of tree cover between 2001 and 2020. In 2021, Indonesia released a large amount of carbon dioxide, making it one of the top emitters among developing countries. More effort is needed to reach the 2030 targets.

Society and culture

A 2019 survey found that 18% of people in Indonesia do not believe in climate change. This is higher than in Saudi Arabia (16%) and the U.S. (13%).

Climate education is not included in the school curriculum.