inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions is encouraging improved village capability in disaster mitigation and preparedness following the high trend of hydrometeorological disasters that directly impact rural areas.

"What's interesting is that 98.33 percent of these disasters are hydrometeorological. So, floods, extreme weather, landslides, forest fires, and drought. The most vulnerable and at risk are villages," said Samsul Widodo, Director General of Accelerated Development of Disadvantaged Regions, on Thursday (February 19, 2026).

Samsul also explained that the total number of disasters reached 3,116 throughout 2025, a 121 percent increase compared to 2024.

"This is the data we updated yesterday, showing that the total number of disasters was 3,116 throughout 2025, a 121 percent increase compared to 2024. The impact of the damage is quite significant," explained Director General Samsul.

According to him, villages are the most impacted due to the limited alternative livelihoods available to their communities. 

"I always say, if we, the people of Jakarta, are impacted (by the disaster), we still have savings or something. But for villagers, that's no longer possible. This means they have the only rice fields they have, the only gardens they have, the only livestock they have, so they have no alternatives," concluded Samsul.

He encouraged systematic capacity building for disaster mitigation in villages, including through training for village heads and their staff. He also emphasized the importance of utilizing the Village Climate Risk Index as a basis for policy and budgeting, ensuring it doesn't remain merely data.

Through capacity building, integrating the risk index into policy, and mainstreaming climate change issues, the government hopes that villages will be able to increase their resilience to disasters while maintaining sustainable development.

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