Introduction

The growing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events threatened to reverse progress in poverty reduction and deepened existing inequalities in countries across Asia and the Pacific. Indonesia was highly vulnerable to both slow-onset climate change impacts, including sea level rise, rising temperatures, and shifts in rainfall patterns, as well as climate change-related extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. Low-income groups and communities were disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts and often lacked the resources and systems needed to withstand and recover from such shocks or adapt to the transitions needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

In this context, social programs, including social protection and community empowerment, offered a critical means to strengthen individual and community and economic resilience, alleviate poverty, ensure sustainable livelihoods, and promote social cohesion. Its objectives aligned closely with climate policies in safeguarding and empowering populations. Harnessing these synergies could generate substantial benefits for both climate adaptation and mitigation, while reinforcing the effectiveness and reach of social protection systems through more integrated policy approaches.

The Government of Indonesia had committed to a low carbon development model through the Long-Term Strategy for Low Carbon and Climate Resilience (LTS-LCCR 2050), Low Carbon Development Indonesia (LCDI), and Enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Potential linkages between these mitigation, adaptation measures, social protection, and community empowerment existed but remained underexplored. For example, strategies for better Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) had helped decrease deforestation and would be further enhanced by measures to restore ecosystems and promote sustainable forest management. The impact of social protection programmes on these measures had been noted in Indonesia. One study found that the Program Keluarga Harapan reduced deforestation by 30% in participating communities. Measures to reduce energy emissions, which were projected to be the largest contributor to GHG emissions by 2030, include a roadmap for the phasing out of coal-fired power plants.  Contributory and non-contributory social protection schemes would be critical to ensure a smooth labour market transition for workers in this sector. Additionally, active adaptation efforts through affirmative community and economic empowerment would accelerate the process, ensuring the most vulnerable part of the population received equal economic opportunity from the transition.

More comprehensive and integrated community empowerment programmes with social protection were instrumental to promote equitable climate action. They strengthened resilience against climate risks by providing vulnerable populations with financial support, access to productive resources, capacity building, continued coaching and facilitation, and facilitated social mobility, as well as adaptive mechanisms to cope with climate change adaptation and mitigation policies or climate-induced shocks. 

Indonesia had made significant progress in strengthening its poverty reduction strategies over the decades through the introduction of cash and in-kind non-contributory poverty-targeted programmes. Notable advancements had been made towards universal health coverage through the National Health Insurance Scheme, which includesd non-contributory coverage for the poor (Penerima Bantuan Iuran Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional/PBI JKN). The Government of Indonesia had also committed to expanding its affirmative empowerment programs to ensure a holistic approach to improving people’s social and economic resilience and independence.

Recognizing the impact of climate change risks on households and livelihoods, the government had positioned an adaptive approach in social programmes as a key driver to accelerate poverty eradication and promote inclusive economic growth, as clearly articulated in the Long and Medium-Term National Development Plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Panjang Nasional (RPJPN) 2025-2045 and Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional (RPJMN) 2025–2029). The planning documents mandated the integration of social protection and community empowerment with disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation and enhance the capacity of lower-income households to better prepare for, cope with, and adapt to, climate-related shocks. 

The impacts of extreme weather events and climate change policies were felt most strongly by local communities with loss to infrastructure, livelihoods, health and food security. For example, changing rainfall patterns and weather events led to loss of agricultural livelihoods and heatwaves could impact on working hours. The transition from coal to biomass created new opportunities for renewable energy jobs, but also loss of livelihoods in fossil fuel-based energy production. Social protection and community empowerment were instrumental in supporting more climate-resilient livelihoods. Therefore, it was necessary to understand and identify pathways to build adaptive community empowerment.

To address this gap, ESCAP would collaborate with the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) to support the integration of social protection and other climate resilience policies into the development of adaptative and inclusive community empowerment in Indonesia. This project aimed to identify policy development opportunities in community empowerment and social protection to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, as well as to strengthen livelihoods and social cohesion that were more resilient to climate change, particularly for vulnerable groups.

2. Objectives

To support the effective implementation and secure strong cross-sectoral and inter-agency commitment, an official launch and kick off this collaboration was held. The launch of this initiative “Climate Resilient and Inclusive Social Protection (CRISP) Project: Towards Independent and Resilience Communities in Facing Climate Change” was planned to include high-level interventions as well as a panel discussion aimed at:

• Examining the socioeconomic risks to individuals and local communities posed by climate change policies and events in Indonesia; 

• Examining the potential role of community empowerment and social protection in building climate resilience;

• Identifying opportunities for developing adaptive community empowerment policies for climate resilience; and

• Providing insights and inputs to the forthcoming project activities through issues raised and discussed during the panel discussion.

3. Participants

The event brought together policymakers, social development and climate experts from relevant ministries, representatives of United Nations agencies and development partners, and other stakeholders to support the launch of the CRISP Project and engage in forward-looking dialogue on forthcoming project activities.

4. Format

The inaugural launch of “Climate Resilient and Inclusive Social Protection (CRISP) Project: Towards Independent and Resilience Communities in Facing Climate Change” was held in person in Jakarta.