White Paper: UK-Indonesia partnerships for advancing geohazard science for disaster risk assessment in Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the world’s most hazard-prone nations and experiences over 2000 disasters annually. Natural hazard disasters in Indonesia are responsible for hundreds to thousands of lives lost each year and cost the country US$1 to US$3 billion annually. Population growth, increasing urbanisation, embedded poverty and rising inequality mean these risks are rising. Reducing disaster risk requires decisions to be grounded in the best available earth science and risk management skills. This White Paper, co-developed by Indonesian and UK multi-disciplinary hazard experts and disaster managers, presents a strategic roadmap to significantly reducing the impacts of geohazards by 2035 through interdisciplinary research, locally embedded solutions and equitable international partnerships. The paper is the outcome of a landmark geohazard solutions symposium, ‘UK–Indonesia Solutions Symposium on Geohazard Science for Disaster Risk Assessment in Indonesia’, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2025. The symposium brought together scientists, policymakers and practitioners to prioritise the geohazard challenges in Indonesia and co-design solutions pathways to them.