Environmental Damage Claims More Lives Than Wars, Indonesian Minister Claims

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar said the impact of climate change, which causes environmental damage, must be promptly stopped. Environmental damage, he said, leads to natural disasters that affect all living creatures, especially humans.

"The number of lives lost to environmental damages is greater than those in wars," said Nasaruddin after a discussion with the central board of HKBP at the VVIP room of Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.

Ongoing warfares, such as that between Ukraine and Russia, he added, indeed constitutes a major disaster for the number of casualties it caused. But environmental damage has cost a greater number of casualties, reaching 1 million per year.

Therefore, he said, religious groups must urge all people to make efforts to prevent the impact of climate change, including through religious approaches.

"A healthy environment also contributes to a healthy soul, body, and spirit," he said.

In a similar vein, the Ephorus of Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKPB), Bishop Victor Tinambunan, affirmed that HKBP strives to save the environment through religious approaches.

One such approach is by preaching the impacts of environmental damage to the congregants in the church. "We believe that when the environment is well-maintained, God will bless all humanity," said Victor.

He said that the HKBP will also ask the government to reconsider the plan to expand the food estate program area in the Pakpak Bharat, North Tapanuli, and Central Tapanuli regions.

According to Victor, the expansion plan must be empirically reviewed by experts and the local communities, as the 15,000-hectare program will certainly involve clearing existing forests.

HKBP, he said, is worried that deforestation that may follow in the wake of the food estate will bring harm—in the form of natural disasters—instead of blessings to the community.

"Don't let the interests of a few sacrifice the forests and other human beings," said Victor.

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