Social-Economic Wounds Behind the Aceh-Sumatra Disaster Cycle 2025

JAKARTA - Indonesia closed 2025 with a dramatic record related to disaster resilience. Behind the statistical figures reported by authorities, there is a deep narrative about loss, economic disruption, and collective efforts to rise. National disasters are not just natural events; it is a systemic shock that tests the social foundations and fiscal stability of the country.

The scale of the impact of disasters in Indonesia remains at an alarming level. According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), as of December 2025, the value of economic losses due to disasters in the country has reached Rp. 3.68 trillion. This figure includes physical damage to vital infrastructure, but has not yet calculated the long-term economic losses from paralyzed productive sectors.

Cumulatively, throughout 2024 alone, Indonesia recorded 540 deaths and more than 8.1 million people were forced to flee due to various hydrometeorological disasters. The 2004 Aceh tsunami tragedy remains the darkest emotional reminder, in which more than 160,000 people were lost in an instant, leaving behind intergenerational trauma that has not yet fully recovered.

Natural disasters create massive social dislocation. Dr. Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, often emphasizes that vulnerable groups - women, children, and the elderly - are the most affected.

Meanwhile, Social Observer from the University of Indonesia, Devie Rahmawati said that disasters are not just natural phenomena, but also social events that worsen the existing inequality structure. Women often bear a heavier domestic burden in displacement while their basic rights (security and health) are threatened.

"Disasters widen the gap of inequality. Women in displacement face a heavier burden to bear, while children lose precious months of access to education," said social observer, Devie Rahmawati from the University of Indonesia to VOI, through a written message, Sunday, December 28.

In addition to psychological trauma, unplanned population displacement often triggers social conflicts in the refugee-receiving areas due to competition for limited resources.

Economic Impact: From Agriculture to National Inflation

Macroeconomically, the disaster in 2025 will put significant pressure on the supply chain. For example, the floods in the Jabodetabek region in March 2025 alone are estimated to cause economic losses of IDR 1.69 trillion. The following are details of the economic sectors that will be significantly affected in 2025:

Agriculture: Thousands of hectares of rice fields are submerged in floods, triggering crop failures that contribute to rising national food prices. Infrastructure: Damage to bridges and national roads disrupts logistics routes, increases transportation costs, and triggers inflation in isolated areas. Tourism: Disasters in major destinations are often followed by massive cancellations, which hit the local service-based economy.

Data on Disaster Events in Indonesia (Recapitulation 2024-2025)

Based on the BNPB report, the following is a comparison of data on prominent disaster events:

Type of Disaster Number of Incidents (2024) Important Notes 2025

1,420 Dominants in Sumatra and Jabodetabek Extreme Weather 733 Hits coastal areas and highlands Karhutla 973 Occurred in South Sumatra, Riau, and Central Kalimantan Landslides 207 Often triggered by extreme rainfall

Facing this challenge, the government has set the National Disaster Management Plan (RENAS PB) 2025-2029. The main strategy that is being driven is the development of earthquake-resistant infrastructure as well as strengthening the disaster insurance system to reduce the fiscal burden of the country.

Post-disaster recovery is now no longer just about rebuilding buildings, but about Build Back Better - building a more resilient society. Empowering communities through the Disaster Resilient Village (Destana) program is the key so that in the future, the narrative of disasters will no longer be dominated by sadness, but by human strength to survive and rise again.

Central Government Turns a Blind Eye to the Disaster in North Aceh?

The Regent of North Aceh, Ismail A. Jalil, questioned the presence of the state in handling flood and landslide disasters in his area. Ismail said President Prabowo Subianto had never visited North Aceh, even though the damage from the flood was also very severe.

This was conveyed by Ismail in a coordination meeting of the Post-Disaster Recovery Task Force for Sumatra held by the leadership of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Aceh today, Tuesday, December 30.

Ismail initially reported that the flood and landslide-affected areas in North Aceh, including 27 sub-districts consisting of 696 villages or around 81 percent. Then the number of victims of flood disasters affected in North Aceh was 124,000 households or 433,000 people.

"The number of flood victims, refugees 19,000 households, 67,876 people. Then the victims of the flood disaster died 213 people, missing 6, injured 2,127. Then pregnant women 1,433, toddlers 9,525 people, then the elderly 6,895 people, disabled 513 people," said Ismail in a meeting broadcast on the official channel of the DPR RI, Tuesday, December 30.

Ismail revealed that the impact of the damage in North Aceh consisted of 72,364 houses submerged, 3,506 houses lost, 6,236 houses severely damaged, 16,325 houses moderately damaged, 20,280 houses slightly damaged, and 14,509 hectares of submerged rice fields, as well as 10,674 hectares of lost ponds.

"Then the needs of refugees. The first thing is that the electricity is not normal and Telkom. Then the second is the need for gas stoves or LPG gas 5 kilo, the third is logistics and medicine. Fourth, tents, which until now the community is still in the usual tents. Then the fifth is a boat to deliver logistics in the isolated area in Serah Raja and in Dusun Selemah. Then the sixth is clean water, the seventh is heavy equipment," he explained.

Ismail then questioned the presence of the state, especially the President of the Republic of Indonesia who until today has not reviewed the impact of the disaster in North Aceh. In fact, according to him, the damage that occurred in North Aceh was also very massive, such as Aceh Tamiang and Pidie Jaya.

"Then I need to say a little, permission from the Minister and to all who have attended. Maybe it was delivered, sorry, the Regent of Tamiang and the Regent of Pidie Jaya. Maybe in North Aceh, Mr. President has always been to Tamiang and to Takengon, Central Aceh, and also present in Pidie Jaya, including Mr. Vice President," said Ismail.

Ismail assessed that the central government seemed to turn a blind eye to the disaster that occurred in North Aceh. However, he appreciated Commission V of the DPR and the Chairman of the MPR RI Ahmad Muzani who had come down to review his area.

"At that time, the Chairman of the MPR planned to go down to Malikussaleh. The same information I had, the plan was to go down to Malikussaleh. But I said, 'If it's in Malikussaleh, I think I don't have to come. Do I want to be at the scene, how is the actual incident'. I didn't exaggerate, so I said that the disaster in North Aceh was more than a tsunami because from upstream to downstream," he said.

Disaster-resilient Village (Destana)

In the midst of the frequency of natural disasters that continue to overshadow Indonesia throughout 2025, the Disaster-Resistant Village (Destana) program is now the main focus in the national disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategy. This program focuses on strengthening the independent capacity of the community at the village level to recognize, face, and recover from disaster threats.

The main principle of Destana is to change the paradigm of disaster management from responsive to preventive through the active participation of citizens. The community is no longer just an object that awaits assistance, but rather the main subject in managing risks in its own region.

Deputy for Systems and Strategy of BNPB, Dr. Raditya Jati in a socialization of the national standard in 2025 emphasized the importance of standardization of village resilience. He explained that the integration between local knowledge and technology (SNI Destana) is the key to creating sustainable resilience.

Deputy for Prevention of BNPB Dra. Prasinta Dewi said BNPB together with a number of parties also increased the readiness of the community by forming Disaster-Resistant Villages. In the village, the information about disaster has been trained and given tools and signs according to their respective levels of vulnerability.

"Destana is a total of 6,056 villages formed by BNPB and other related parties. This is still far less than the 53 thousand villages that have disaster threats," he said.