On June 3, 2025, KONEKSI, in collaboration with Universitas Gadjah Mada, held the eighth edition of CONNECT! under the theme “Media Communication on Climate Change Policies.” The event highlighted the media’s crucial role in conveying climate policy effectively to all societal levels, especially vulnerable rural communities. This is in line with Indonesia’s 2014 National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation (RAN-API), which emphasizes raising public awareness.
Speaking at the event, Vice Minister of Communication and Digital, Nezar Patria, underlined the urgency of climate communication and the need to bridge the gap between scientific findings and journalistic practices. The event also featured a collaborative research presentation conducted by Indonesian and Australian researchers from Universitas Gadjah Mada and Deakin University, supported by KONEKSI and the Australian Government (DFAT).
The study, titled “Building Resilience in At-Risk Rural Communities through Improving Media Communication on Climate Change Policies,” aims to improve how climate policy information is communicated and understood—especially by communities in remote areas. The discussion involved insights from national and local government officials, including representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Yogyakarta Environment Agency.
Experts and practitioners, such as Prof. Greg Barton (Deakin University) and Andrias Ekoyuono (Kumparan.com), emphasized that despite good intentions, a lack of accessible climate information can lead to harmful practices. The dialogue also introduced a multilingual, AI-powered tool developed from the research to provide accurate and accessible climate information, tackling misinformation and fostering informed decision-making.
Prof. Puji Astuti of Universitas Gadjah Mada highlighted the importance of this collaboration as an example of research diplomacy, aiming to build public trust through inclusive, data-driven communication strategies.
CONNECT! #8 served as a collaborative forum for researchers, policymakers, media professionals, and advocates to exchange ideas and strategies for strengthening climate change communication systems in Indonesia and beyond.
