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View all search resultsClimate crisis pushes Indonesian youths out of school
The worsening climate crisis is disrupting the lives and future of Indonesian youths, forcing some out of school and into work while threatening their health and access to food.
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Sign of times: A child collects reusable waste on Aug. 8, 2025 at Muaro Lasak Beach in Padang, West Sumatra. Marine debris and various types of waste carried from the river have piled up on the beach following heavy rain. (Antara/Iggoy el Fitra)
T
he worsening climate crisis is disrupting the lives and future of Indonesian youths, forcing some out of school and into work while threatening their health and access to food, according to the latest report by child rights NGO Save the Children, presented at The Jakarta Post’s office earlier this week.
Based on consultations in July with teenagers aged 15 to 19 in Jakarta and Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, the report found that increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather has caused crop failures and triggered natural disasters, upending daily life for children in both rural and urban areas.
In Jakarta, several children described struggling to access nutritious food, consuming instant noodles more often than vegetables and fish. Many avoided fish altogether, citing worsening water quality as floods become more common.
“It’s so hard to even eat fish, because we know how much bacteria and germs are in the water due to the floods,” said Jakarta-based Amirah, who opted for a pseudonym, in the report.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has cautioned since April that the country would see more hydrometeorological disasters due to climate change, including floods.
Read also: ‘Dry season’ floods nationwide highlight climate crisis
In Kupang, failed harvests and declining fish stocks have forced families to substitute rice with cheaper staples like cassava and corn, while once-abundant local fruits have grown scarce and expensive.
