STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
"Communities are not just facing one shock at a time." First held on April 22, 1970, Earth Day marks an annual focus on environmental protection, global climate concerns, and the work of climate justice and peace. As climate shifts continue across the globe, Week of Compassion pays close attention to the impact in already-vulnerable communities, working with our domestic and global partners and local leaders to increase the effectiveness of disaster response, humanitarian aid, and sustainable development efforts. Yayasan Cita Wadah Swadaya (YCWS) is a long-standing Week of Compassion faithbased partner in Indonesia, dedicated to transforming communities through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. Indonesia’s journey toward climate resilience represents a critical response to its position as one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate change impacts. Including more than 17,000 islands with more than 50,000 miles of coastline, Indonesia faces compound challenges from rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ecosystem degradation. Here, Dino Satria, Chairperson and Executive Director at YCWS, shares insights and opportunities rooted in local leadership, climate impact, and hope. One thing that can sometimes surprise people is that the impact of climate change is not only about bigger disasters, but also about how recovery becomes longer, more fragile, and more complicated. Communities are not just facing one shock at a time. They are often dealing with repeated flooding, changing rainfall patterns, drought, coastal impacts, and loss of livelihoods all at once. This means that even after an emergency response ends, many families are still struggling to regain stability.  Tropical Cyclone Senyar (Nov 2025) sparked flash floods and landslides across three provinces in Sumatra. We see this clearly in places like Sumatra, where recent flood disasters have shown how climate-related events can quickly overwhelm communities and local systems. The immediate damage is visible, but the longer-term recovery is often much harder. Families may lose income, access to clean water becomes more difficult, children’s routines are disrupted, and communities can remain vulnerable long after floodwaters recede. In this way, climate change is stretching the space between relief, recovery, and development, making them much more interconnected.  Climate-related events require immediate response and longterm structural work. The most far-reaching impact on our work is that climate change deepens existing vulnerability. It affects not only infrastructure or agriculture, but also protection, food security, health, displacement risks, and social resilience. Those with the fewest resources are often hit the hardest. For us, this means climate resilience cannot stand alone as a separate program area. It has to be woven across how we think about humanitarian response, community recovery, and longerterm development. At the same time, we continue to see many signs of hope.  Community members gather in an evacuation center during the CLEAR Program’s flood preparedness simulation. Through our I-CREATE work (Improving Community Resilience Through Enhanced Adaptation and Technical Assistance), we have seen how communities can strengthen resilience when they are supported to lead solutions that fit their own context. This includes practical efforts around community preparedness, local adaptation, and reducing risks before they become crises.  Information sessions on community vulnerability and preparedness resources make an impact. Through CLEAR (Community Led Early Action and Resilience), we are also seeing encouraging examples of local partnership and community engagement that help connect climate resilience with everyday realities, especially for communities already facing multiple pressures. These initiatives remind us that resilience is strongest when it is locally rooted and when communities are seen not only as affected populations, but as leaders of change. What gives us hope most of all is the strength of communities themselves. Even in very challenging situations, we continue to see local knowledge, solidarity, and initiative. When communities, local organizations, and partners work together, there is real potential not only to respond to climate impacts, but to build safer and more sustainable futures. Week of Compassion is grateful to Dino Satria for this story. Photos via YCWS online.
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