Indonesia Hit by String of Disasters, Prabowo Calls for More Mitigation Funding

Indonesia’s string of natural disasters has prompted President Prabowo Subianto to seek a significant increase in funding for disaster mitigation.

Prabowo made the call during a virtual limited meeting on natural-disaster response on Monday. “For the government I lead, we must significantly increase budget allocations for disaster mitigation,” he said.

He linked the repeated emergencies to Indonesia’s geography in the Ring of Fire, saying that this reality requires the government to remain ready to face such conditions at any time. He cited an earthquake in Flores, renewed activity at Mount Anak Krakatau, forest fires and persistent haze.

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For the government I lead, we must significantly increase budget allocations for disaster mitigation.

Prabowo said the government’s disaster response had improved substantially, describing current action as faster and more extensive. He also thanked all officials and agencies involved.

The latest disaster cited in the report followed activity at Mount Anak Krakatau. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has kept the volcano at Level III, or Alert, since July 2, 2026. Activity increased on September 4, when lava became visible from the waters of the Sunda Strait. Ash spread across Lampung, Banten, Jakarta and West Java, while affected air routes, including international and domestic flights, were temporarily closed.

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The earthquake in Flores, then now the activity of Mount Anak Krakatau, as well as forest fires and the haze, remain problems for all of us.