Press Release: Indonesia Prepares to be a Model for Climate Change Handling

PRESS RELEASE

Jaringan Ahli Perubahan Iklim dan Kehutanan Indonesia
(APIKI Network)

Bonn, Senin 7 Mei 2018.

Indonesia Prepares to be a Model for Climate Change Handling

APIKI Network. Indonesia has been considered to have advanced developments in climate change control and has the opportunity to propose itself as a pilot country especially in the implementation of capacity building for climate change handling. This was revealed in the 2nd session of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB) in 2018 which took place on 3-5 May in Bonn, Germany. Therefore, Indonesia needs to immediately prepare and propose itself as a pilot country for climate change control, especially in efforts to increase the capacity of mitigation and adaptation, said Mahawan Karuniasa, a lecturer of Environmental Sciences University of Indonesia who is a member of PCCB Committee.

The PCCB is the first body established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after the Paris Agreement, with the primary task of addressing global inequalities and needs for capacity building of developing countries in implementing the climate change agenda. The PCCB is comprised of 12 members, composed of 10 members from 5 UN country groups, 1 from representatives of underdeveloped countries, and 1 from small island countries. The UNFCCC also mandates developed countries to support and assist developing countries in increasing their capacity. Without capacity building it is certain that the agenda of the Paris Agreement can not be achieved by 2030, so capacity building becomes an urgent issue. It has been widely known that maintaining an average increase in the Earth’s surface temperature to no more than 2 degrees Celsius is not enough with only achieving the Paris Agreement target, but also the need for deeper ambitions to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

In the discussion, another thing that surfaced is the increasing attention of PCCB on the issue of loss and damage caused by climate change disaster. Various countries vulnerable to climate change disasters such as Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and African countries, the Pacific region, South America, and the Caribbean have experienced many disastrous climate change events that cause losses and casualties. While in Indonesia, in 2016 hydrometeorological disaster has reached 2,342 incidents which mostly are flood, whirlwind, and landslide, whereas in 2002 only 143 events occured, which means increased 16-fold. In response to this, Mahawan Karuniasa also stated the need for Indonesia to formulate the need for capacity building to reduce the loss and damage of climate change related disasters. Preparation of Indonesia into a pilot country needs to be comprehensive, and it also needs to be addressed as a momentum to overcome the climate change challanges that are still facing.