Hot Water Rising: The Impact of Climate Change on Indonesia’s Fisheries and Coastal Communities

With 17,504 islands, 108,000 kilometers of coastline, and three-quarters of its territory at sea, Indonesia’s prosperity is deeply entwined with its oceans. Yet the future for Indonesia’s oceans, like those worldwide, is increasingly uncertain. Climate change is driving increases in water temperatures, storm severity, and sea level rise, causing shifts in coastal ecosystems and fisheries. These trends pose challenges for Indonesia’s ocean economy and the people it supports. Indonesia’s fisheries are at the center of these challenges. The fisheries sector contributes US26.9 billion dollars annually to the national economy (around 2.6 percent of GDP), 50 percent of the country’s protein, and over 7 million jobs (World Bank 2021). The impact of climate change on the fisheries sector will thus have important implications for livelihoods, food security, and economic growth. While this is true around the world, few countries have fishery resources as vast as Indonesia’s or depend as much as Indonesia does on fisheries for jobs and protein. As this report highlights, the importance of ensuring productive and sustainable fisheries in the face of a changing climate is well-recognized. The Government of Indonesia is taking steps toward a climate-resilient marine and coastal economy through investment in infrastructure, technology, capacity-building, and governance. Strategies and actions are outlined in the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the Climate Resilient Development Policy 2020- 2045, and the List of Priority Locations and Climate Resilient Actions prepared by the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas). Climate resilience is being prioritized by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF).