Indonesia and US expand cooperation on disaster-resilient infrastructure
Indonesia and the United States are strengthening cooperation in the field of military engineering to enhance disaster resilience and disaster-resistant infrastructure development, as part of a long-term investment in strengthening national and humanitarian resilience.
The Indonesian Embassy in Washington said on Saturday that the discussions took place when the Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, Indroyono Soesilo, met the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army, Adam M. Telle, at the US Department of Defense on Thursday, 23 July 2026.
The meeting was a follow-up to discussions between Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and US Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll in April 2026.
The talks focused on strengthening cooperation in engineering, improving disaster response capacity, building resilient infrastructure, and developing capabilities for restoring community access following disasters.
Ambassador Indroyono assessed that engineering cooperation between the two countries holds strategic significance in facing increasingly complex disaster challenges.
“By combining the experience, technology and innovation of both countries, we can build more resilient infrastructure and ensure communities gain faster access to basic services when disasters strike,” Indroyono said.
Situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia faces various natural disaster threats, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and landslides.
According to the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, strengthening cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) carries strategic value in supporting resilient infrastructure development while accelerating humanitarian response during disasters.
Collaboration between Indonesia and USACE has so far been realised through various activities, including Pacific Resilience and the Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange (DREE), involving the TNI, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), USAID and a number of international partners.
These exercises have covered critical infrastructure assessment, search and rescue operations, and the refinement of mechanisms for receiving international assistance in emergency situations.
In addition, both countries also see opportunities for cooperation in building modular bridges, opening emergency routes, constructing river embankments, urban drainage systems, and enhancing the capacity of engineering personnel through joint education and training.
The engineering corps is a support corps that provides technical capabilities so that both military operations and humanitarian operations can run effectively.
In disaster management, the engineering corps plays a role in applying technical capabilities to support mitigation efforts, emergency response, and post-disaster rehabilitation.