The climate crisis, or climate change caused by human activity, has become a hot topic in global debates. Its impacts are already visible everywhere. For a country like Indonesia, the crisis is not just a theory, it’s a lived reality: from floods in cities to crop failures in villages.
But this isn’t only an environmental issue. It’s also about social justice. The most vulnerable communities such as small farmers, coastal communities, people living in disaster-prone areas, women, and children are hit the hardest, with fewer resources to adapt. That’s why solutions like the energy transition must not be exclusive or elitist, but fair and inclusive.
This article explains: what the climate crisis is, its main causes, the impacts we’re already facing, the solutions needed, how Indonesia is responding, and why current action is still far too slow.
What is the Climate Crisis?
The climate crisis is an emergency caused by rising global temperatures due to human activity. This leads to extreme weather, rising sea levels, drought, food shortages, and more.
Causes of the Climate Crisis
Greenhouse Gases
Gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) trap heat in the atmosphere. Human activities, especially burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas), make the problem worse. This is what drives global warming.Deforestation
Forests absorb massive amounts of carbon. When trees are cut or burned, they release CO₂ instead. In Indonesia, deforestation for plantations, mining, or new land clearing has caused the loss of over 10.7 million hectares of rainforest since 2002. This weakens ecosystems, worsens floods, and destroys local livelihoods.Ozone-Depleting and Super Greenhouse Gases
Chemicals like CFCs and HFCs (used in air conditioners, refrigerators, and industry) are much more powerful than CO₂ in trapping heat. Even small emissions add up to a huge climate problem.
Impacts of the Climate Crisis
Extreme Disasters
Stronger floods, longer droughts, hotter heatwaves, and rising seas are now common in Indonesia. Some small islands and coastal villages have already been swallowed by the sea.Food and Water Shortages
Unpredictable rainfall causes crop failures and makes farming unstable. Drought worsens water scarcity, while floods pollute clean water supplies.Health Risks
Heatwaves can cause heatstroke. Floods spread diseases like dengue and diarrhea. Air pollution and haze worsen respiratory illnesses.Forced Migration and Inequality
When farms fail or coastal areas sink, people are forced to migrate—often with no safety nets. Women, children, and marginalized communities suffer the most.
Why is the Climate Crisis Often Downplayed?
Psychological Distance: People see climate change as a problem for the future or for other countries, not here and now.
Complex Science: Terms like “carbon emissions” and “sea level rise” feel abstract and hard to grasp.
Disinformation: Fossil fuel companies have long spread doubt about climate science to protect their profits, even though they’ve known the risks since the 1950s.
Evidence in Indonesia
Rising Temperatures: In 2024, Indonesia’s average temperature hit 27.52 °C, almost 1 °C hotter than normal.
Shifting Rainfall: Dry seasons now bring unexpected heavy rain.
Local Disasters: Flash floods in Kalimantan, drought emergencies in East Java, and sudden floods in Mataram show how unpredictable the climate has become.
Solutions: Toward Climate Justice
Energy Transition
Move away from coal, oil, and gas toward clean energy like solar, wind, and geothermal. But this must be fair by protecting workers, empowering local communities, and redirecting subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables.Cutting Emissions
Improve energy efficiency
Promote public transport and electric mobility
Restore forests and peatlands
Apply fair carbon policies (taxes, regulations) without greenwashing
Everyday Actions
Individuals and communities can save energy, reduce waste, eat more sustainably, support local products, and protect green spaces.
Time to Act Together
The climate crisis in Indonesia is real and urgent. It threatens not just the environment, but also our food, health, and future. Extreme weather, floods, droughts, and forest fires are becoming the new normal.
To face this, we need collective action. Government, business, and society must work hand-in-hand. With bold steps from clean energy, forest protection, reduced reliance on coal, to community involvement. Indonesia can still build a safer, fairer, and more sustainable future.
