Ecological Intelligence
If disaster is a teacher, it instructs in the cruelest manner, through tears and lost lives. However, lessons about nature need not wait for floods to arrive. Ecological intelligence—the awareness that forests are more than just timber and rivers more than just water—must be instilled from when children first encounter their environment. Without it, development yields only illusory progress, paid for dearly with destruction and repeated disasters. We have just witnessed the stark irony of this at the close of 2025.
Floods and landslides ravaged Sumatra at the end of 2025, causing severe humanitarian impacts. Data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) indicate that the disasters in three provinces—Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra—killed more than a thousand people and left hundreds missing. In Aceh alone, hundreds of residents were reported dead and dozens still declared missing, while tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate.
Behind these figures, experts identify two main factors. Extreme rainfall was indeed the primary trigger, but forest damage in upstream river areas in recent years worsened the flood impacts. The loss of forest cover reduces the soil’s capacity to absorb water, increasing runoff and heightening the risks of flooding and landslides.
THE FATE OF INDONESIA’S FORESTS
Indonesia’s tropical forests continue to shrink every year. Data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry show that Indonesia’s forest cover is now about half of its land area. This contrasts with countries like Bhutan, which constitutionally maintains over 70% of its territory forested and measures societal well-being not solely by economic growth, but by happiness and environmental balance. As a tropical region, Indonesia ideally should have 40%-60% forest cover to prevent disasters and preserve biodiversity. The vital functions of forests for life are undeniable: trees absorb rainwater, prevent erosion, and maintain ecosystem balance. When forests diminish, rainwater that should be absorbed by the soil instead flows rapidly into settlements, triggering floods and landslides.
These disasters serve as a stark reminder of the connection between environmental damage and heightened disaster risks. High rainfall driven by regional atmospheric dynamics is indeed a triggering factor. However, forest degradation and poor land governance amplify its effects on communities. Thousands of homes were damaged, and many residents were forced to evacuate as waters overflowed from rivers no longer able to contain the rainfall volume.
Such events demonstrate that disasters are not triggered solely by natural factors, but also by how humans manage their environment. When forests are felled without restraint and spatial planning is neglected, nature loses its ability to protect humanity.
MISGUIDED POLICIES
Environmental damage in Indonesia does not occur suddenly. It is the accumulation of development policies that often prioritise short-term economic growth over environmental sustainability. In recent decades, permits for plantations, mining, and infrastructure have expanded continuously. Local leaders sometimes abuse their authority to grant mining permits in areas that previously served as ecosystem buffers.
Regulations aimed at accelerating investment often ease permitting processes, while oversight of environmental impacts remains weak. As a result, forest areas that should function as water buffers and soil protectors gradually shrink. They are ravaged by rampant mining and plantations that plant crops unable to maintain soil structure. This damage is indeed triggered by policies, but the root problem lies deeper. Another overlooked factor is the weakness of ecological education in our education system. In many schools, environmental learning remains theoretical and disconnected from students’ real experiences.
Children learn about ecosystems from textbooks, but are rarely encouraged to understand how nearby forests store water, how rivers can become polluted, or how land-use changes affect community life. Without direct experience, environmental concepts remain abstract and struggle to foster deep concern.
Yet, local communities across Indonesia possess traditional knowledge that has helped maintain natural balance for centuries. Indigenous forest management practices, prohibitions on felling certain trees, and collective rules for resource use represent proven forms of ecological wisdom that ensure environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, this knowledge is rarely integrated into formal education systems. It is precisely there that hope for long-term improvement lies.
By recognising this gap, ecological education becomes a crucial long-term investment. Such education does not merely teach theories about nature, but builds awareness of the relationship between humans and their environment.
Schools can serve as the initial space to nurture ecological intelligence. Learning need not always occur in classrooms. Students can be taken to observe nearby rivers, study the role of trees in preserving soil, or understand how environmental changes impact community life.
Integrating local wisdom should also be part of the curriculum. By studying environmental management practices passed down by indigenous communities, students not only grasp science but also learn to value cultural principles that support natural sustainability.
On the other hand, the government must strengthen environmental protection policies and ensure that economic development aligns with sustainability principles. Sustainable forest management, oversight of land use, and community participation in decision-making