COVID-19 revealed critical vulnerabilities within Indonesia’s healthcare system, exacerbated by its geographic dispersion, healthcare inequities, and resource limitations. Despite implementing public health measures, repurposing facilities, and expanding vaccination efforts, the country faced challenges, including under-reported cases, shortages of healthcare workers, and poor coordination among stakeholders. These issues highlighted the need for systemic improvements, particularly in rural areas. Strengthening healthcare infrastructure, increasing medical staffing, enhancing governance, and fostering partnerships are essential takeaways for future pandemic preparedness and a more resilient healthcare system.

To reach 100% electrification, Indonesia must overcome energy poverty in rural locations. Renewable Energy-based Village Grids (RVGs) based on solar photovoltaic (PV), microhydro, and biomass have been established in numerous villages. RVG projects bring the advantages of reduced pollution, enhanced prosperity, and gender equality. However, some projects still encounter inequity and other challenges that obstruct long-term sustainability. This article provides some recommendations to support the deployment of RVGs in Indonesia.

In the endeavour to establish Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) as the new capital of Indonesia, the development of robust infrastructure and effective water sanitation policies emerges as a pivotal element for the region’s sustainable growth. This report embarks on a comprehensive exploration of infrastructure and water sanitation strategies tailored to IKN’s unique context. Drawing inspiration from a global perspective, renowned for their meticulous planning and governance, we also cast a global lens on emerging cities worldwide, whose innovative approaches to infrastructure and water sanitation provide valuable insights. As Dr Lorenzo Chelleri (EUKN, 2023) profoundly notes, “A resilient city is a city able to politically choose a long-term transformative pathway of developmenttomitigaterisks,supportingtheresiliencecapacitiesofactors,economies,and infrastructures contributing to that pathway, while actively eroding the capacities of those still pursuing unsustainable and business as usual pathways.” By amalgamating these global perspectives with IKN’s distinct characteristics, this paper aims to explore approaches to establishing resilient, environmentally conscious, and culturally sensitive infrastructure development, setting a visionary course for Indonesia’s new capital.

The 2011 tsunami in Japan and the 2010 Haiti earthquake provide evidence that failure in disaster risk communication leads to more fatalities among at-risk communities. In the past five years, disaster practitioners have utilised a wide range of strategies to communicate disaster risks. The strategies used are diverse according to its objectives, tools, coverage, and target audiences by mainstreaming the audience’s needs, local norms, geographical areas, and cultural values. These strategies are not solely intended to deliver reliable disaster risk-related information efficiently. More substantially, the strategies are also expected to quickly bring resiliency to the disaster-affected communities. This Op-Ed will provide an early understanding of the concept of disaster risk communication and its strategies, including resilience concepts and frameworks. Moreover, this Op-Ed also underlines further discussion on how vital disaster risk communication is, how the communication is linked with the conceptual elements of the resiliency of disaster-affected communities, and how humour can be a promising entrance to establish a more disaster-resilient community.

Adequate social protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs) requires a comprehensive assessment of their multidimensional vulnerabilities to better inform the programme design. In the case of IDPs in Papua, the current approach has been deemed ineffective due to its insensitive nature and lack of responsiveness to the vulnerabilities faced by IDPs. Five key dimensions of vulnerability—economic, environmental, political, security, and societal—must be integrated into social protection to enhance resilience among IDPs. Furthermore, a higher degree of decentralised social protection is essential, empowering local authorities to adapt programmes to the specific needs of IDPs while also being relevant to the Special Autonomy Policy (Otsus) in Papua.

As a country with a high risk for various disasters, the government is expected to prepare for the worst. For those with high-risk occupations, such as fishermen, there is much at stake in working and living in a vulnerable coastal region. Aceh has one of the largest coastal areas in Indonesia and a high population of fishermen. Moreover, amidst the current climate and economic uncertainties, there is a possibility of being trapped or falling below the poverty line if not managed correctly. Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) could provide the baseline needed to mitigate preparations and implementations needed to prepare for shocks caused by disasters. Not only does ASP provide the framework needed for shock mitigation, but it also prepares resilient community behaviour. The Indonesian government has taken steps to integrate ASP into social protection schemes and expand its range. This article aims to map several points of the AdaptiveSocialProtectionframeworkandtheirrelationshiptotheactionthathasbeencarried out for fishermen in the Aceh region.

The 2018 earthquake in Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, caused significant damage and displacement, underscoring the need for resilient housing. This study evaluates Indonesia’s Hunian Tetap programme within the Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) framework, which aims to enhance resilience through responsive measures addressing immediate and long-term needs. The programme’s progress in constructing permanent housing is notable, but challenges such as implementation delays and insufficient public participation remain. The research emphasises the critical role of community engagement, prioritising vulnerable groups, and comprehensive planning to better align with ASP principles. Key recommendations include expanding programme coverage, improving targeting methods, and fostering continuous community involvement. By addressing these aspects, the study aims to enhance the long-term resilience of disaster-affected communities, ensuring housing assistance programmes contribute to sustainable development and robust social protection frameworks. This research highlights the necessity for housing solutions that are not only immediate relief measures but also part of a broader strategy to build resilience against future disasters.

This paper explores nature-based solutions (NbS) for Jakarta’s current water crisis. The correlation between urban resilience and the urban water cycle that is currently changing proposes a resilient answer, demanding room for nature-based solutions. Nature-based solutions utilise nature to address environmental challenges while simultaneously creating social and economic benefits. Jakarta’s past efforts to solve flood problems mostly rely on grey infrastructure and neighbourhood-scale solutions. This calls for an integrated grey and green infrastructure with a wider scale, such as the city-scale of a river-basin scale of NbS. This study mentions two examples of nature-based solutions: a living river in Singapore and sponge cities in China. Implementing nature-based solutions in Jakarta requires consideration regarding the opportunities and challenges in the city to optimise the solutions to address the water crisis.

West Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated province, faces significant challenges in maintaining food security amid increasingly extreme climate change. With a population reaching approximately 50 million people in 2023, the demand for food in this region is exceedingly high. The agricultural sector, which forms the backbone of food production in West Java, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as unpredictable weather patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and shifting agricultural zones. These challenges necessitate the adoption of technological innovations to enhance agricultural productivity, improve supply chain efficiency, and ensure sustainable food production. Strategies such as the implementation of Scuba Rice, Automated Irrigation Systems, Cold Chain Technology, and Vertical Farming are crucial examples of the application of innovation and technology in addressing food security issues. By leveraging technology, West Java can not only meet the current food demands but also build a resilient agricultural sector capable of withstanding future climate challenges.

Indonesia’s cities are dominated by cars. This is a legacy of policies that prioritised car ownership. However, a growing youth movement advocating for cycling, walking, and public transport offers hope. Social movements, such as Colombia’s Bogotá’s Ciclovía, can shift public opinion by strategically communicating the environmental and health benefits of sustainable mobility. Innovative financing methods like Social Impact Bonds and Cash Waqf-Linked Sukuk can help fund this shift, paving the way for a future where walking and cycling are the preferred choices for young Indonesians, leading to healthier and more sustainable cities.

Indonesia faces escalating pressure on its landfills due to the rising volume of unmanaged waste. Moreover, there is a growing demand for energy and a necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as outlined in Indonesia’s NDC, leading to a significant reduction in coal reliance. Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) offers an important technological answer to these pressing issues. This Op-Ed limited the scope of Indonesia’s current situation of RDF implementation to the challenges faced by the country. Additionally, it highlights two key urgent needs of RDF implementation and proposes potential actions that Indonesia can take.

The exhilarated pace of climate change will induce disaster that will impact society, where Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) is needed more than ever. To further leverage the potential of adaptive social protection, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can transform the execution of disaster mitigation with the innovation developed by independent researchers or the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). To further elaborate on this topic, this Op-Ed explores how artificial intelligence can assist adaptive social protection programmes in reducing the severity of disasters, specifically what role(s) artificial intelligence plays in disaster mitigation. For successful AI implementation, centralising development within one government agency is crucial. This simplifies monitoring and evaluation while maintaining the communities involved in the process. Not only will it acquaint the communities with the programme, but also build trust to build a sustainable programme.