”Indonesia Must Adapt to Climate Change,” Rachmat Witoelar Says

Presidential Special Envoy for Climate Change Rachmat Witoelar acts as a keynote speaker in High Level Session of the 5th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Monday (17/10)

Presidential Special Envoy for Climate Change, Rachmat Witoelar, said that climate change is the biggest threat for the development. Therefore, the world, including Indonesia, must take several mitigation and adaptation measures on the impacts of climate change. “Mitigation on climate change is an effort to reduce emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, adaptation on climate change means adaptation on the condition caused by climate change,” Rachmat said during his speech as a keynote speaker on High Level Session of the 5^th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Monday (17/10).

According to Witoelar, adaptation measures on climate change are important. Due to the change, we already feel several impacts, so human beings must adapt to be able to survive. After Paris Agreement on global action plan to control climate change, the world has a strong foundation to not only take mitigation measures, but also adaptation measures.

Indonesia, Witoelar further said, has vision to be a prosperous and dignified world’s maritime fulcrum. He also asserted that Indonesia has integrated the adaptation on climate change in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) for 2015-2019. Now, we just wait for the implementation so that our target will be realized.

“All parties, not only the Government, must work hard. Indonesia, as an archipelagic country, is vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, such as flood, drought, crop failure, forest fire, shortage of fish population, and others. One measure that can be taken is by enhancing cooperation among the developing countries in order to improve capacity and technology transfer on adaptation,” Rachmat added.

The 5^th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaption Forum is a platform for climate change’s adaptation stakeholders to meet, which is represented by policymakers, scientists, donor institutions, youth organizations, business sector, and communities. More than 800 participants from over 50 countries attended the conference that was held on 17 to 19 October 2016, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The event is the flagship program of the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka this year. This year’s theme “Living Under 2°C: Bridging Gaps in Policy & Practice” explores concrete measures for even greater partnerships among governments, non-governmental organizations, and business sector.

Moreover, the event aims to raise awareness and understanding on adaptation potentials in Asia-Pacific, and link the potentials to the sources of climate finance, particularly from business sector. (UKP Perubahan Iklim/ES)(RAS/MMB/YM/Naster)