Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry has called on regional governments to band together and take action against the threat of climate change. With environmental risks continuing to loom large around the globe, the ministry is urging regional authorities to cooperate on initiatives designed to reduce the impact of climate change on communities and ensure that ongoing environmental concerns can be addressed effectively. The move comes amid mounting concern about the health of Indonesia’s forests, and the potential for environmental disruption to impact upon key industries, including agriculture and tourism. Hence, the ministry’s push for greater collaboration between regional governments has been seen as a vital step in ensuring that Indonesia is equipped to tackle the long-term threat of climate change.
The Climate Change Control Director General at the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Laksmi Dhewanthi, has called on provincial, district, and city governments in Indonesia to work together to implement climate action at the grassroots level. Speaking at a technical meeting on climate change control in Surabaya, East Java, Dhewanthi emphasized the importance of collaboration across different government institutions, given that the drive to address climate change spans various different sectors.
It was noted that the role of all sectors within regional governments is key in achieving climate resiliency, and this is something that cannot be tackled by a single office alone. “As part of the government that is close to mitigation and adaptation actions, the regional government plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving climate resiliency,” explained Dhewanthi.
The meeting was part of the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Regions Climate Change Control (PPI) Regional Technical Work Meeting (Rakernis), which took place on April 3-4 2023, and aimed to disseminate information and discuss how regional governments can contribute to the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and Carbon Economic Values (NEK).
Dhewanthi emphasized that regional governments play an important role in the efforts to achieve NDC targets, as they are responsible for implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. This involves formulating action plans, taking action, and monitoring their progress, as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with Presidential Regulation No. 98 of 2021.
At an earlier meeting of the National Rakernis PPI, the Environment and Forestry Minister, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, also encouraged the use of environmental funding, which amounted to over Rp15 trillion ($1 billion) in the Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH). This funding can help to address the issue of a lack of financial resources for climate action within regional budgets.
It is clear that there is growing recognition of the urgency of implementing effective climate action on a local level in Indonesia. The country is one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, and is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, flooding, droughts, and heatwaves. It is therefore essential that all sectors work together to tackle the issue and mitigate its impact.