WNAM REPORT: Heavy rains and floods remain the biggest threats for Indonesia in 2025 due to the impact of the La Niña phenomenon, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The agency reported that throughout 2024, it recorded a total of 2,107 incidents of disasters that claimed at least 547 lives, displacing over 6.3 million others and destroying around 60,000 homes across the country.
More than half of the 2024 disasters, around 1,088 incidents, were floods. Extreme weather events trailed as the second-most common occurrence at 455 incidents.
BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said La Niña caused higher than average rainfall in Indonesia in 2024, resulting in floods and other extreme weather events.
The Southeast Asian nation is predicted to continue facing wet rainy season during 2025 as the impact of La Niña continues. The country can expect high intensity rainfall to occur until April and thereby increasing the risk of catastrophic events.
To cope with the threat of natural disasters in 2025, the BNPB is launching cloud-seeding operations to induce rain before it arrives over heavily populated areas. The agency also plans to install new early warning equipment to detect the buildup of volcanic materials to anticipate lahar flows.
It also aims to improve disaster preparedness at the grassroots level by disbursing funds, manpower and equipment for regional administrations and encouraging the establishment of community patrols to routinely check for signs of imminent disasters.
