Indonesia Promotes Community-Based Disaster Resilience to ASEAN

Visit to Lebak Muncang Village to share good practices of community-based empowerment. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an ASEAN-ID Roadshow, a strategic agenda that is part of the ASEAN-ID Resilience series of activities held on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Disaster Management Committee (ACDM) Meeting, on July 31, 2026 in Bandung, West Java.

The ASEAN-ID Roadshow is designed to embody the concept of Sustainable Resilience. This effort is a follow-up to Indonesia's initiative during the ASEAN Chairmanship 2023, which places the readiness of local communities and youth as the front line in responding to the threat of climate change and disasters.

In its implementation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mapped the ASEAN-ID Roadshow into three main sub-activities. First, ASEAN Goes to Campus at Padjadjaran University which highlights the strategic role of youth in building resilience in ASEAN.

Second, a visit to Lebak Muncang Village, Ciwidey, West Java, to share good practices in community-based empowerment and the role of villages as the foundation of national and regional resilience to foreign delegations.

Third, a cultural visit to the West Java Angklung House to introduce traditional culture and creative economic products as the main source of local community resilience. The activity was attended by representatives of the Permanent Mission of ASEAN Member States, Partner Countries and Embassies of friendly countries, high school students, and students from a number of universities in Bandung and its surroundings.

Highlighting the crucial role of young people in this initiative, the Director of Social and Cultural Cooperation of the ASEAN Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yuliana Bahar, conveyed her message to the students. "ASEAN should not only stop at decisions or meetings of leaders at the highest level; but must start with you, young people," he said.

The importance of this role of youth is also emphasized in the context of global climate justice. The Ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, who was also present as a speaker, highlighted the urgency for young generations to speak up.

"Although Indonesia and Pakistan contribute less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, they are part of the top 10 countries most affected by climate change," said Ambassador Zahid. "Therefore, we have the right to speak out more loudly for the preservation of the climate and you, the future leaders, must dare to speak out about this," he explained.

Also reinforcing this view, the Deputy Chief Representative of Japan for ASEAN, Yoshiyasu Iseki, emphasized the importance of regional synergy that starts from the grassroots.

"Resilience actually starts with the community. The challenges of the region require inclusive regional partnerships and cooperation as well as concrete actions from young people who will form the foundation of the future of this region," said Iseki.

Collaborating with the West Java Provincial Government, and Padjajaran University, this ASEAN-IDRoadshow activity is a manifestation of Indonesian resilience diplomacy which is centered on the strength of local communities. Through this approach, Indonesia targets that the concept of regional resilience can be implemented concretely by making the village ecosystem and the younger generation as its main driving force.