Indonesia’s geographic characteristics—comprising more than 17,000 islands and an extensive coastline—render the country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Its diverse topography, ranging from marine and coastal systems to peatlands and mountainous forests, further heightens its exposure to extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms. Under a high-emissions scenario, an average of 4,215,700 people per year are projected to be affected by coastal flooding due to sea level rise between 2070 and 2100. Indonesia also faces significant risks from inland river flooding, with an additional 269,600 people potentially exposed each year by 2030. Moreover, climate change is expected to substantially alter Indonesia’s climate, with average annual temperatures projected to increase by approximately 3.8°C by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario.
Rising temperatures may lead to more frequent and severe heat-related illnesses, particularly among elderly people, with heat-related mortality projected to increase to around 53 deaths per 100,000 population by 2080. The health sector in Indonesia is therefore highly affected by climate change. Increased temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are expected to elevate the transmission of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. In addition, climate change is projected to increase the incidence of respiratory diseases due to deteriorating air quality, with approximately 45% of child deaths from acute lower respiratory infections attributable to household air pollution.
The formulation of a climate change action plan in the health sector is a highly strategic step to ensure the readiness of the health system in responding to the impacts of climate change. The urgency of formulating this action plan is also driven by the need to strengthen the adaptive capacity of the health system in addressing climate-sensitive diseases, which are often closely linked to climate change. Regulations such as Regulation of the Minister of Health Number 2 of 2023 concerning the Implementing Regulation of Government Regulation Number 66 of 2014 concerning Environmental Health and Law Number 31 of 2009 concerning Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics provide mandates to enhance monitoring systems and mitigate health impacts arising from extreme weather conditions and the increasing incidence of communicable diseases. This highlights the need to integrate climate and health data in the planning and implementation of mitigation and adaptation programs.
