04/12/2025
Today our thoughts are with the people and animals affected by the devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia.
First, we would like to let you know that Pungky and his team are doing ok. They are safe. We have all been concerned by the news, checking in with him regularly, and luckily South Sumatra hasn’t been affected as badly.
This week, monsoon rains and tropical cyclones tore through parts of Asia, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and southern Thailand. It has destroyed infrastructure, cut power supplies, and overwhelmed towns and villages. Throughout Asia, around 1300 are thought to have sadly lost their lives thusfar.
On Sumatra island alone, 3.2 million people were impacted. Of those, 2600 have been injured, 504 are missing, and unfortunately at least 708 have lost their lives.
Survivors described the chaos and how powerful currents of water rapidly tore through and submerged villages, seemingly without warning. Many were left clinging to trees and roofs, so as not to be swept away by the waves.
Aid workers and emergency response teams have been facing dangers head-on, working tirelessly to reach survivors; however, their efforts have been hindered by blocked roads and broken bridges.
In some of the more devastated areas, markets are swiftly running out of essential resources, like rice and vegetables. The charity Islamic Relief has so far supplied 12 tonnes of emergency food aid, and the Indonesian government is planning to send 34000 tonnes of rice and 6.8 metric-litres of cooking oil to hardest hit areas — particularly Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has deployed rapid response teams, critical supplies, and are looking to strengthen disease surveillance.
Although seasonal monsoons are a relatively predictable part of life in this region, this year’s downpours combined with a rare tropical storm, making it particularly catastrophic.
On top of this, the effects of deforestation have worsened the deadly disaster, creating instability and increasing chances of landslides. The issue has become so dire that the energy minister has said mining permits will be revoked - without hesitation - from companies found to be violating rules.
According to David Gaveau (founder of Nusantara Atlas - a deforestation monitor), between 2001 and 2024, Sumatra lost 4.4 million hectares (or 11 million acres) of forest. For perspective, that’s an area bigger than Switzerland!
Healthy forests act as natural flood barriers, their roots soaking up vast amounts of water. This is one of the many reasons why our team at Eyes On The Wild is working to protect and preserve what is left of these vital ecosystems. Protecting these vulnerable rainforest areas is imperative - not only to the wildlife, but for maintaining the safety of local communities.
We will keep you all updated as more information is released. If you would like to help, we will be leaving links in the comments section to charities and groups directly involved in providing emergency aid (& those mentioned in this post). If you’re able, I’m sure they would appreciate a donation; but even if you can’t, at the bare minimum please share this information with others, and perhaps leave them some words of encouragement during this difficult time. Remember, every effort and contribution helps, no matter how small.
(Photo credits: Binsar Bakkara/AP, Ade Yuandha/AFP-Getty Images, Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management, ANTARA/Wawan Kurniawan/tom, Arab News/AP)
