Indonesia has been recently hit by deadly floods and landslides in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh. These disasters have taken the lives of more than 800 people and made thousands more into homeless. Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Indonesian government’s disaster response agency, has suffered from major budgetary constraints in recent years. This scenario has serious implications for its ability to address emergencies in a timely and effective manner.
In comparison, the BNPB’s budget in 2021 was $646 million. Projections indicate that funding will drop off a cliff by 2025. In real terms, it will plummet to the equivalent of just $182 million, barely more than a third of today’s total. The draft budget for the next fiscal year would make a big reduction. In doing so, it will cut BNPB’s funding to a mere $45 million. Our alarm comes from the sudden and dramatic drop in fiscal resources. How long can the agency maintain an appropriate response when facing a barrage of simultaneous natural disasters?
Strained Resources and Emergency Response Challenges
Historic severe flooding has devastated the area. Amidst all this, Indonesia’s national government has still not issued a national state of emergency, even as local leaders contend with an emergency and call for immediate help. Even Iskandar Usman Al-Farlaky, the regent of East Aceh—a long time supporter of special autonomy—publicly fretted about the lack of progress on the ground. He said our local leaders had “given up” when faced with insurmountable odds.
Nationally, local governments are at their breaking point with scarce dollars. The regency of East Aceh, for example, has a paltry emergency fund of only $72,000. As of September 2020, numerous regency heads in Aceh have indicated that they were on the verge of a resource crisis. They’re ill-equipped to address the heavier impacts from flooding and landslides.
“The underfunding of BNPB budgets has impacted regional preparedness for disaster mitigation and relief.” – Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara
Because of the budget cuts, municipalities have lost the ability to disseminate help quickly and effectively. Infrastructure damage has created its own set of challenges. Landslides cut off access to the remaining rescue districts of Adian Koting and Sibolga, further complicating the situation. The North Tapanuli Deputy Chief Police Commissioner Ernis Sitinjak remarked, “We must go to areas that are most in need first,” underscoring the difficulties faced in reaching affected communities.
Shifting Funds and Emergency Aid
In a surprising turn, President Prabowo Subianto agreed to funnel more money into addressing this long-standing crisis. This funding was offset by cuts to other programs. Most strikingly, funds meant for Indonesia’s school meals program were transferred to help support disaster relief responses. This shift speaks to the internal, continuing war inside the government to balance the needs of competing priorities with shrinking resources.
Helicopter missions have been deployed to deliver medical supplies and other necessities to remote villages severed from contact by landslides. Logistical challenges remain significant. Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara pointed out that “evacuation of victims has been slow, and equipment, including trucks for transporting victims and logistics, is inadequate.” This critical inadequacy deeply hinders both national and international relief operations and calls into serious question the efficacy of disaster response strategies as they currently exist.
The Impact of Budget Cuts on Local Governments
The budget cuts have struck BNPB particularly hard. They made it more difficult for local governments to respond to and recover from disasters in an effective way. In many areas, the weather and lack of access mean that there are still major challenges in renting heavy equipment needed for large-scale rescue operations and aid distribution.
“Budget cuts have also impacted the already limited capacity of local governments … many regions still struggle to distribute aid due to budget constraints for heavy equipment rental.” – Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara
This leaves local leaders frustrated as they try to pick up the pieces after these natural disasters. They still face these daunting challenges every day without nearly enough support. Climate change, more specifically severe flooding, has become one of the biggest threats to Indonesia. At the same time, historic underfunding makes it extremely difficult to do everything possible to keep citizens safe and secure—all citizens.
