Indonesia Lies Within the Ring of Fire — Here Is What That Means

President Prabowo Subianto has stated that Indonesia lies within the Ring of Fire, the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Ring of Fire is the world’s most active zone in terms of seismic (earthquake) and volcanic activity. The region lies along the Pacific Ocean, where the Pacific Plate meets and interacts with various other surrounding tectonic plates.

The collision of these plates frequently causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the region.

The majority of the world’s roughly 1,350 potentially active volcanoes are located along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Why Is Indonesia Called Part of the Ring of Fire?

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Indonesia sits at the very heart of the Ring of Fire owing to its unique geographical and geological conditions. The meeting of major tectonic plates: Indonesia lies at the point where three of the world’s giant tectonic plates converge — the Indo-Australian, Eurasian, and Pacific plates.

The interaction and movement of these plates causes energy to accumulate beneath the Earth’s crust, which is sometimes released suddenly, triggering tectonic earthquakes. As a result of lying along the Ring of Fire’s plate boundaries, Indonesia has a great many active volcanoes.

Globally, Indonesia ranks first in the world in terms of the number of historically active volcanoes. The movement of magma deep within the earth beneath Indonesia’s many active volcanoes also frequently generates pressure and tremors that produce volcanic earthquakes.

Prabowo Reminds Indonesia It Sits on the Ring of Fire

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto said the government would significantly increase budget allocations for disaster mitigation. This is considered essential given that Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it vulnerable to a wide range of natural disasters.

“A country located within the Ring of Fire means we must be ready to face circumstances like this at any moment,” Prabowo said during a limited meeting on natural disaster management with regional heads held virtually on Monday (7/9/2026).

“That means it is perhaps also a lesson for us, for the government I lead — the budget allocation for disaster mitigation must be increased significantly,” he continued.

Prabowo assessed that his government is now better able to handle disasters compared to previous years. He cited the disaster responses in several parts of Sumatra, namely Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

“I believe we will be more capable of facing what lies ahead. Even now, compared with years past, our response has been very fast. The disaster situations in Sumatra — Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra — showed our response was quite massive and quite swift,” he said.