Nearly 1,000 Dead in Indonesian Floods as ADB Warns Water Crisis Threatens Billions

Indonesia has confirmed a devastating human toll after a week of torrential rains triggered catastrophic floods and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that 961 people have died, 234 are missing and about 5,000 were injured, while more than 156,000 homes were damaged and 975,075 people were sheltering in temporary facilities.

Human Toll and Damage

Floodwaters have started to recede in several coastal districts, but large areas in the central highlands remain cut off and inaccessible. Emergency teams continue search-and-rescue operations and are working to deliver food, medical supplies and shelter to displaced communities. Authorities warn that damaged infrastructure and disrupted communications are hampering relief efforts.

Ongoing Risks

Heavy rain is forecast for parts of the island in the coming days, raising fears of further flooding, landslides and additional displacement. Indonesia's rainy season, which typically peaks between November and April, frequently brings severe flooding to low-lying coastal areas and vulnerable inland basins.

Underlying Causes

Environmental campaigners and disaster experts say the scale of the damage is exacerbated by long-term factors, including rapid deforestation, unregulated development and degraded river basins. These changes increase runoff, reduce natural flood buffers and make communities more exposed to extreme rainfall events.

Regional Context: Climate, Water Systems and Risks

Other countries across South and Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka and Thailand, have also been hit hard by storms and floods in recent weeks. On Monday the Asian Development Bank (ADB) published the Asian Water Development Outlook 2025, warning that climate change and accelerating ecosystem decline are placing Asia's water systems at growing risk and could affect billions of people.

Norio Saito, ADB Senior Director for Water and Urban Development, said: Asia's water story is a tale of two realities, with monumental achievements on water security coupled with rising risks that could undermine this progress. Without water security, there is no development.

The ADB report highlights that from 2013 to 2023 the Asia-Pacific region experienced 244 major floods, 104 droughts and 101 severe storms, events that caused widespread damage to lives and property. It also finds that water ecosystems—rivers, aquifers, wetlands and forests—that underpin long-term water security are deteriorating or stagnating in 30 of the 50 countries reviewed, driven by pollution, unchecked development and land conversion.

Funding Gap and Solutions

Underinvestment in water and sanitation infrastructure is a critical threat. The report estimates that Asian nations will need about $4 trillion for water and sanitation by 2040—roughly $250 billion per year—but current government funding covers only about 40 percent of that need, leaving an annual shortfall of more than $150 billion. The ADB calls for urgent action to restore ecosystem health, strengthen resilience, improve water governance and deploy innovative finance to deliver long-term water security.

As Indonesia responds to the immediate humanitarian crisis, experts warn that long-term investments in natural and built infrastructure, better land-use planning and stronger governance are essential to reduce future losses and protect vulnerable communities across the region.