Indonesia’s journey toward climate resilience represents a critical response to its position as one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate change impacts. As an archipelago of over 17,000 islands with 81,000 kilometres of coastline, Indonesia faces multifaceted challenges from rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ecosystem degradation.

The Indonesian government has developed comprehensive adaptation strategies including the National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation (RAN-API) that prioritizes food security, water systems, coastal protection, and disaster preparedness. The Climate Village Program (ProKlim) demonstrates community-based resilience building through local initiatives in water conservation, waste management, and renewable energy adoption. In urban areas, climate-resilient infrastructure development includes elevated roads, improved drainage systems, and water-sensitive urban design. Many cities have implemented innovative solutions such as polder systems and eco-drainage to manage flooding. On the other end, agricultural adaptation involves promoting drought-resistant crop varieties, adjusting planting calendars, and implementing water-efficient irrigation techniques. These measures protect food security in the face of changing rainfall patterns.

Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain. Limited funding, bureaucratic fragmentation, and uneven technical capacity across regions hinder implementation. Nevertheless, Indonesia’s integrated approach—combining traditional knowledge with modern adaptation strategies—offers a promising framework for building climate resilience in a highly vulnerable developing nation.

YCWS empowers climate-affected communities by building resilience through:

• Conducting climate risk and vulnerability assessments
• Strengthening governance and institutional capacity for climate adaptation
• Applying ecosystem-based adaptation to mitigate climate risk
• Promoting adaptive livelihoods and sustainable water resource management