Nurofiq made the remarks while referring to recent flooding in Sumatra and a landslide in Cisarua, which he said were partly driven by human activities that failed to take the climate crisis into account, increasing the likelihood of natural phenomena, including more extreme weather events.
“We need collaboration to raise awareness that whatever economic activities we undertake, if we fail to put the environment as the main foundation, the cost of recovery and the cost of damage will be extremely high,” Nurofiq said at the ESG Sustainability Forum 2026 in Jakarta.
He cited estimates from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), which in early December 2025 projected that the total budget required to restore damage caused by flooding in Sumatra could reach Rp51.82 trillion (approximately US$3.1 billion).
That figure does not include losses from disasters in three provinces across Sumatra. Separately, the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) estimated total losses at around Rp68.67 trillion (about US$4.1 billion).
Nurofiq noted that these figures only reflect material losses and do not account for immeasurable impacts, including the loss of life. According to BNPB data as of February 3, the death toll had reached 1,204.
“We urge companies and all Indonesians that the time has come for us to reaffirm ourselves as a nation capable of facing all development challenges. Not only physical challenges, but also global ones in which we are among the most affected, climate change,” he said.
Nurofiq called on all segments of society, including businesses, to translate mitigation and adaptation efforts into concrete action, stressing that such efforts should not stop at forums and discussions alone.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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