JAKARTA - The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) said that out of around 500 volcanoes in Indonesia, 127 of them are active volcanoes.
"A number of volcanoes are even included in the most active category because they often experience eruptions or increased volcanic activity, so they require close monitoring throughout 2025," said Head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of the Geological Agency, Priatin Hadi Wijaya in a press release received by Antara, Saturday, December 20.
According to Hadi, his party also noted that by mid-December 2025 there were three volcanoes with level III status or standby, namely Mount Merapi in the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java, Mount Semeru in East Java, and Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara. Then as many as 24 volcanoes are at Level II status or alert.
He explained that the number of people living around the volcano in the alert and standby status is estimated to reach 15 million.
"Therefore, preparedness and compliance with recommendations are important to minimize the risk of disasters," he said.
The Geological Agency currently operates 74 volcano observation posts, and monitors 69 active volcanoes in Indonesia in real time.
"Monitoring is tightened towards the end of the year as the community's mobility increases and coincides with the peak of the rainy season," he said.
He added that a number of volcanoes have recorded high activity levels and long eruption histories, including Mount Merapi, Semeru, Anak Krakatau, Kelud and Sinabung.
"These mountains are known to often erupt with different characteristics, ranging from ash ejection, hot cloud discharge, to lava flows," he said again.
He said, Mount Semeru, for example, has experienced several eruptions in early December 2025. On Sunday (7/12/2025), the highest mountain on the island of Java was recorded to have erupted four times with the height of the eruption column reaching about 1,000 meters above the peak and until now the status of Mount Semeru is still at Level III or Standby.
PVMBG issued a number of safety recommendations, including a ban on activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as 13 kilometers from the peak and restrictions on activities within a five-kilometer radius of the crater due to the potential danger of incandescent material ejection.
In addition to the eruption, the Geological Agency also warns of potential subsequent hazards such as ash rain and lava flows, especially when the intensity of the rain increases. The peak of the rainy season is expected to last until the end of January 2026, and has the potential to increase the impact of volcanic activity in vulnerable areas.
As a country on the Pacific Rim of Fire, Indonesia has a high level of vulnerability to geological disasters. The government urges people around active volcanoes to continue to monitor official information and comply with the recommendations of the authorities to avoid the risk of disasters.
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