Jakarta, March 21, 2025 – The Europe Today: Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, called on regional governments across Indonesia to adopt an ecological approach as the primary foundation for their development planning. This call came after the 2025 National Coordination Meeting on Disaster Handling held in Jakarta on Thursday.
Speaking to the press, Minister Pratikno emphasized that the ecological approach is crucial to preventing development activities from becoming the root cause of environmental disasters. “This approach is aimed at preventing development from becoming a cause of disasters,” he stated.
The minister reassured that the central government is fully committed to integrating ecological principles into national decision-making processes. However, he stressed that this commitment would falter without proper understanding and collaboration from regional governments. He pointed out that sustainable development, which harmonizes economic growth and environmental preservation, requires active engagement at all levels of government.
“The central government is working hard, but the vanguard of disaster mitigation is the regional governments,” Pratikno remarked.
He further highlighted the importance of strengthening the role of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in ensuring that development activities do not compromise the environment. He stated that governors, district heads, and mayors must prioritize disaster mitigation efforts, with a focus on ecological development in their respective regions.
Minister Pratikno also suggested that BPBDs should be granted more authority to oversee projects that may threaten the balance of local ecosystems. For example, BPBD could be empowered to challenge or modify development project designs that pose a risk to the environment.
Recent data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) revealed that Indonesia experienced 683 disaster events, mostly hydrometeorological in nature, between January and March 2025. These disasters affected 39 districts and cities across 19 provinces, resulting in the displacement of 43,252 residents, three fatalities, and significant damage to more than 10,300 units of homes, roads, bridges, and public facilities.
In light of these figures, Minister Pratikno stressed the importance of fostering public awareness of disaster mitigation. “Improving the community’s awareness of disaster mitigation must also be strengthened. We must not only talk about disaster risks when a disaster occurs. It must be a concern from the beginning in every development policy,” he concluded.
