Across Indonesia, many communities live on the front lines of climate-related disasters. Droughts, floods, and shifting disease patterns are placing growing strain on already vulnerable health systems. In 2024 alone, 142 healthcare facilities were damaged by climate-driven events, forcing several facilities to shut down entirely, relocate services, or send medical staff to emergency response zones sites, often at the very moment care was most needed.
In response, The World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched an initiative to build Climate-Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facilities. The goal is to strengthen the country’s ability to withstand climate shocks while continuing to deliver essential services.
Central to the effort is a set of assessment tools adapted from WHO’s global framework and integrated into the SIKELIM platform, a digital platform that tracks disaster-affected health facilities in real time. Through this system, hospitals and clinics can evaluate their vulnerabilities across key areas, including workforce capacity, water and sanitation systems, energy use, infrastructure, and technology.
The initiative also focuses on both adaptation and mitigation strategies. On the adaptation side, it aims to strengthen and connect early-warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases, helping health providers respond more quickly to emerging threats. Under mitigation, the initiative seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emission by healthcare facilities themselves.
More broadly, the project seeks to build a health system that is not only more resilient to climate impacts but also more sustainable and low-carbon. This is especially important given how closely climate change is linked to disease patterns. Shifts in rainfall, temperature, and humidity can alter how disease spreads, while changes in water availability and agricultural systems can increase the risk of malnutrition and waterborne illnesses.
The consequences of climate change are already visible across Indonesia. For example, decreased rainfall and lower temperatures in Maluku were associated with a 96% increase in pneumonia cases. In contrast, rising temperatures and heavier rainfall contributed to a 227% surge in dengue fever in Bali-Nusa Tenggara and a 66% increase in malaria cases in Papua.
Beyond health outcomes, the economic consequences are significant. Climate-related health impacts are projected to cost Indonesia around 1.86% of its economy—approximately $21.6 billion. Meanwhile, disruptions to the water sector could lead to a loss of up to 7.3% by 2045, according to a World Bank report. Without intervention, these pressures could strain healthcare systems, negatively shape the health of future generations, and slow progress toward universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
For Indonesia, climate-ready healthcare facilities mean services can continue during emergencies, protecting vulnerable populations when they need care the most. The framework guides hospitals and Puskesmas (government-mandated community health centers) to identify specific vulnerabilities and implement targeted interventions.
To ensure nationwide impact, assessments will include health facilities from Indonesia’s western, central, and eastern regions. These efforts also align with broader national strategies, including the National Action Plan on Climate Mitigation and Adaptation for Health 2025-20230 and the National Adaptation Plan on Climate Change 2026-2030, as well as international commitments under the COP26 Health Programme, the Paris Agreement, and the SDG.
As climate pressures intensify, Indonesia’s approach highlights a growing reality: healthcare systems can no longer operate separately from the environment around them. Building resilience is no longer just about preparing for emergencies, it is about redesigning systems to endure them. In a future shaped by climate uncertainty, the strength of a nation’s health infrastructure may ultimately determine not only how well it responds to crises, but how well it protects the generations that follow.
