Indonesia Pushes Climate-Resilient Tourism amid Extreme Weather

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is pushing for more climate-resilient tourism infrastructure as extreme weather and other impacts of climate change increasingly threaten tourist destinations across the country. Director of Resource Mobilization for Climate Change Control at the Ministry of Environment Irawan Asaad on Thursday, October 1, 2026, said climate change was affecting not only the physical environment but also sectors such as tourism.

“How do we go about making these improvements? As it turns out, there’s a lot to cover in the tourism sector—extreme weather and safety,” he said at the "The Tourism Industry in Action to Combat Climate Change" webinar.

He highlighted that extreme weather poses risks to food production and public health. At the same time, climate-related hazards are also affecting tourism activities.

Irawan gave an example of coastal and marine tourism that faces risks from rising sea levels and flooding, while mountain tourism can be disrupted by forest and land fires. Hiking destinations have at times had to be closed because continuing tourism activities would put visitors at risk.

He also stressed that climate impacts could extend beyond individual tourist sites to the wider economy. When a destination is forced to close because of extreme weather or fires, businesses and economic activities around the site can also suffer because tourism supports a wider network of services and businesses.

To respond to these risks, he called for tourism development that combines sustainability with climate adaptation, including cleaner energy, a circular economy, better waste management and ecosystem protection. Tourism infrastructure, he said, should be designed to withstand climate-related hazards rather than simply prioritize modern or sophisticated construction.

“When it comes to adaptation, how can we ensure that the infrastructure is climate-resilient?” Irawan said, pointing to traditional houses such as raised houses near rivers as an example of infrastructure designed to adapt to environmental conditions.