Indonesia Plans "One Data" for Sea-Level Rise Risk, AHY Says It's Existential Threat

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta — Indonesia outlined plans to establish a nationwide integrated database dedicated to sea-level rise during a national dialogue on the issue presented at the “National Policy Dialogue on Sea Level Rise” event in Jakarta, on Monday, July 13, 2026. The initiative is part of a broader overhaul of climate adaptation planning, with the ministry arguing that sea-level rise is also an existential threat to society

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, said Indonesia currently lacks a unified system for collecting and managing data on coastal climate risks. The government therefore plans to develop a national "One Data" system for sea-level rise, bringing together geospatial information and climate risk assessments from ministries, regional governments and coastal authorities.

The initiative would support land-use planning, infrastructure investment, disaster mitigation and climate adaptation across Indonesia's more than 17,000 islands. Coordinating Minister AHY said better data would also provide greater certainty for investors while helping governments coordinate adaptation policies nationwide.

Beyond data collection, Minister Agus urged policymakers to rethink climate change as a broader human and civilizational challenge. "Sea-level rise should be viewed as a humanitarian issue, even a civilizational issue," he said.

He warned that climate change posed an "existential threat" to Indonesia as the world's largest archipelagic nation. "This is an existential threat that could erase our civilization," he said.

The Minister noted that while smaller island nations risk disappearing entirely as sea levels rise, Indonesia also faces profound risks to its coastal settlements, economy and maritime identity. The proposed data platform forms part of a broader governance reform that would integrate climate adaptation into Indonesia's national spatial planning system, alongside a new "One Spatial Planning Policy" intended to complement the country's existing One Map Policy.

He further said effective adaptation would require not only engineering solutions such as seawalls, but also integrated planning, community participation and international cooperation.

"We are not only looking for climate finance," he said. "We also want co-design and co-creation with our international partners." The ministry believes the integrated approach will strengthen long-term resilience and improve coordination in addressing coastal climate risks.