The Archipelago: Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, has been facing the devastating consequences of climate change. From rising sea levels to longer droughts, Indonesia is predicted to lose more than $36 billion between 2020-2024, according to the Ministry of National Planning Development.

Major cities, including the capital city of Jakarta, along the northern coast have been frequently hit by tidal floods due to sinking land and rising sea levels, causing more than $27 billion in losses. Meanwhile, crop failures across the archipelago have been a common phenomenon in the past few years due to rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and longer drought. Rice production has been declining in the past five years, and it’s estimated that the total loss amounted to $5.2 billion.