The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched a US $250 million dollar portfolio of projects to support environmental protection and disaster resiliency in Indonesia over the next five years. At a reception in his Jakarta home, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake linked the new initiatives to global concern about the negative impacts of climate change.

“Climate change is one of the most serious and pressing challenges facing all of us today. As government officials, private citizens, parents, all of us have a reason to address this challenge and take actions to mitigate the dangers of rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the negative impacts this has on our lives,” Blake said. The Ambassador also remarked that Indonesia’s fires this year were some of the worst on record, mostly due to a prolonged drought caused by El Nino and exacerbated by climate change. 

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will partner with Bappenas, the Ministry of National Development Planning, to oversee implementation of the new environmental portfolio. In addition, line ministries including the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will co-design new projects and provide leadership to achieve results. 

The portfolio launched at the event encompasses projects in the sectors of forestry and land use, marine and fisheries management, water and sanitation services, clean energy, and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. High-level targets to be achieved through partnerships include 8.4 million hectares of forest under improved management, six million hectares of marine ecosystem managed to support sustainable fisheries, $800 million of private sector investment in clean energy production  for five million citizens, and 1.5 million citizens, including the poor, have access to water and sanitation services.  In addition, USAID has contributed $5 million to the Indonesian Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF).

"The partnership of the Government of Indonesia with the U.S. Government in this Environment Portfolio is very important in supporting Indonesia’s efforts in managing rich natural resources to achieve sustainable development," said Basah Hernowo, Director of Forestry and Conservation of Water Resources, National Planning and Development Agency (Bappenas).

"Since both countries share the sense of urgency in addressing environmental issues that intertwine with social and economic issues, we believe our strong partnership will lead to successful outcomes," he added.