Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has emphasized that the country has fulfilled the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to tackle climate change.

The statement was conveyed virtually at the 2021 Climate Adaptation Summit on Monday (Jan. 25).

“The impacts of climate change are very real before us. Especially for archipelagic countries like Indonesia,” he said, adding that changes in the climate cycle have made farmers and fishermen in the country have to adapt.

Sea level rising has also pushed coastal and small island populations to struggle to survive, he added.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit at least 215 countries in the world, including Indonesia, has caused these challenges even more complex and severe. "For that, we must take extraordinary steps," the president said.

He asserted that the first extraordinary step should be taken is to ensure that all countries around the world meet Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to tackling climate change.

"Indonesia has updated its NDC to increase resilience and adaptation capacity," the head of state said.

In addition, people should be mobilized to jointly raise awareness in dealing with and taking action towards the impacts of climate change that will inevitably occur in the future.

"Indonesia involves people to participate in controlling climate change through the Climate Village program which covers 20 thousand villages by 2024," the president said.

He also called for strengthening global partnerships. Indonesia itself is prioritizing cooperation in capacity building in dealing with climate change in the Pacific region.

"Of course, developed countries should fulfill their commitments," said the president.

Furthermore, Indonesia also invites all countries to continue apply green development in order to make a better world.

Joko Widodo expected that the 2021 CAS Summit will have an impact on increasing world climate action through solidarity, collaboration and global collective leadership, as well as overseeing the details of its implementation in each country.

The CAS Summit is a high-level conference to accelerate and enhance global efforts to adapt society and the economy to the impacts of climate change in the future.

The 2021 CAS Summit was held online with the Netherlands hosting and supported by 22 countries, including Indonesia.

The summit was attended by UN Secretary General António Guterres, Co-Chair of the Global Commission on Adaptation Ban Ki-moon, leaders of a number of international economic and development institutions, and 22 heads of state or government.

Reporting by Indonesia Window