Villages need to strengthen disaster preparedness amid climate risks

 The Ministry of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions is promoting enhanced village capacity in disaster mitigation and preparedness following a rising trend of hydrometeorological disasters that directly affect rural areas.

“What’s notable is that 98.33 percent are hydrometeorological disasters: floods, extreme weather, landslides, forest fires, and droughts. The most vulnerable and at-risk are villages,” said Director General of Acceleration of Disadvantaged Region Development, Samsul Widodo, during the Village Climate Risk Index (IRID) Workshop

He reported that total disaster events reached 3,116 in 2025, a 121 percent increase compared to 2024.

“This is updated data: total disaster events reached 3,116 throughout 2025, up 121 percent from 2024. The damage impact is quite significant,” he said.

According to him, villages are the most affected due to limited alternative livelihoods.

“I always say, if people in Jakarta are affected, they still have savings or other resources. Meanwhile, in villages, they often have only one rice field, one garden, or one livestock herd, no alternatives,” he explained.

Widodo urged that disaster mitigation capacity in villages be enhanced systematically, including through training for village heads and their staff.

He also emphasized the importance of using the Village Climate Risk Index as a policy and budgeting tool, not merely as data.

Through capacity building, integrating the risk index into policy, and mainstreaming climate change issues, the ministry expressed hope that villages can strengthen disaster resilience while ensuring sustainable development.

Previously, Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Eddy Soeparno stressed the importance of drafting the Climate Change Management Bill as a comprehensive, cross-sector legal framework.

He explained that the initiative aims to ensure legal certainty, clarify the division of authority, and strengthen funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, including disaster risk reduction at the regional level.