VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Minister of National Development Planning and Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Suharso Monoarfa, said on Wednesday that his ministry proposes a presidential instruction on climate change.

"We want to propose a presidential instruction on climate change as, according to our study, many islands are threatened with erosion, and we do not know which islands will be lost in the next 100 years," he stated during a meeting with the House of Representatives.

For instance, Gili Trawangan Island in West Nusa Tenggara has been affected by climate change, he highlighted.

He informed that the island is getting abraded by four meters per year, and the local community has been planting cypress trees to slow the beach erosion.

"I say it is not (cypress trees), but it should be mangroves. The (local) community is not aware of the function of mangroves. The community has a gap in knowledge of their environment," Monoarfa said.

Another example, the reclamation project in Teluk Benoa Bay in Bali, he added. Bappenas has warned that the project will alter sea current patterns, leading to potential impacts on the marine ecosystem in the area.

"The impact (of the reclamation project) is now evident," the minister noted.

During the meeting, he said that his ministry is preparing a new presidential instruction for 2024 on clean water.

The draft presidential instruction aims to address clean water problems that regional stakeholders are unlikely to resolve.

"We are drafting a presidential instruction on clean water. We hope that Mr. President will respond well to it," he said.

Earlier, Monoarfa informed that the 2025–2045 National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) stipulates the target of achieving resilience against disasters and climate change in order to lay the foundation for climate-resilient development. (Antaranews)