Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The effects of climate change could threaten national security as thousands of outermost and small islands serving as baselines for territorial borders are at risk from being swallowed up by rising sea levels.
State Minister for National Developing Planning/Chairman of National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Paskah Suzetta said the disappearance of small islands could shift baselines on territorial borders and alter sea traffic routes.
"The changes in traffic routes in waters will pose serious risks to national security from illicit activities, including illegal logging and fishing, robberies, and exploitation of natural mining and energy resources," he said, adding this could also lead to food, energy and water crises.
"Thus, it is crucial to prioritize climate change issues in national development planning, including national security affairs."
A study predicts sea levels around Indonesia could rise by 0.4 meters within a year, washing away 7,400 square kilometers in coastal areas. By 2100, sea levels were predicted to have risen by 1 meter, which would swallow up 100,000 kilometers of land and submerge 2,000 islands.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said Indonesia had already lost 29 islets since 2007 due to rising sea levels.
There are currently 17,504 small islands in Indonesia, of which 9,634 remain unnamed. The country's 81,000 kilometers of coastline are the second largest in the world with 60 percent of Java's population living along the coastal areas.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) defines how states may draw their territorial borders using baselines between the outermost points of outermost islands.
Bappenas is drafting a strategy that places climate change at the forefront in national development planning. The strategy, which considers all climate-change affected sectors, will provide guidelines in determining the allocation of the state budget to each department between 2010 and 2030.
Bappenas has also set up an Indonesian climate change trust fund (ICCTF) to pool all financial aid to tackle climate change.
Environmental guru Emil Salim said Indonesia needed to review its development policies, including on energy, defense and agriculture due to severe climate change impacts.
"We are not yet fighting with other countries but climate change could create conflict among communities, which would harm national security," said Emil, also a presidential advisor on environmental issues.
Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono admitted the office had yet to include climate change in its national security policies. "However, we are already addressing efficient energy matters."