JAKARTA – A transformative social protection approach is considered key to promoting climate justice in Indonesia, according to the Executive Director of The PRAKARSA, Victoria Fangidae, in the Public Discussion and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the theme Social Protection in the Context of the Climate Crisis which was held by the PIKUL Foundation together with the People's Alliance for Climate Justice (ARUKI), Thursday (23/4/26) at Swiss-Bell Kalibata, South Jakarta.
This forum presented a number of speakers, including Gusti Ayu Ketut Surtiari (BRIN), Victoria Fanggidae (The PRAKARSA), Nurul Sa'adah A (SAPDA), and Timbool Siregar (BPJS Watch). The discussion addressed social protection in relation to the impacts of the climate crisis.
Victoria explained that social protection is known to have three main functions: protective, preventive, and promotive. However, she emphasized the importance of adding a transformative aspect. She believes that the transformative aspect can change broader structures.
"Transformative approaches address the most powerful issues, which are usually structural in nature. Many social protection programs are designed solely for 'survival,' but fail to change the structures that created the problem in the first place," he said.
He considers this approach relevant to the issue of climate justice, especially in looking at the relationship between emitters and affected groups.
"Polluters are indeed required to pay compensation, but this doesn't change the imbalanced relationship, for example, between corporations and victims, such as farmers, fishermen, and affected workers," said Victoria.
According to him, social protection interventions need to go beyond cash assistance and include transformative aspects.
"Social protection interventions should go beyond cash transfers. We must assess whether redistribution is equitable, both in terms of benefits and burdens. Therefore, assets should be redistributed to reduce dependence on aid, not to create multiple forms of aid that fail to address the root of the problem," he said.
In her presentation, Victoria also mentioned four elements of adaptive social protection: programs and policies, data and information, financing, and institutions or partnerships. She argued that these four aspects are crucial for analyzing the Draft Climate Justice Bill.
"This is what needs to be considered in analyzing the Climate Justice Bill, who holds the power? leadership, how it is financed, and how data and information are managed," he said.
He added that in the Indonesian context, institutional aspects remain a challenge because issues of social protection, disaster management, and climate change adaptation are spread across various ministries and institutions.
“What is needed is leadership "There needs to be a clear institutional framework, as cross-sectoral coordination is currently unclear. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Marine Affairs and Fisheries are separate entities, Bappenas (National Development Planning Agency) is also separate, and there's also the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)," he said.
In addition, Victoria also touched on the need to strengthen social protection programs by increasing benefits (upward expansion) and expanding the scope of recipients (lateral expansion).
This activity aims to deepen the conceptual, empirical, and policy aspects related to adaptive social protection, identify policy gaps, and formulate recommendations for strengthening the Climate Justice Bill.
Participants came from various civil society organizations and networks within ARUKI, including representatives from vulnerable groups. These included women's organizations, people with disabilities, fishing and farming communities, and environmental and social justice advocacy organizations.
Through this forum, the organizers hope that social protection can become a key instrument that is more inclusive, responsive to crises, and equitable in addressing the impacts of climate change.