Over the last 50 years, the cost of natural disasters has increased globally and in Indonesia (EM-DAT 2012). We, therefore, need more systematic efforts in trying to reduce disaster risks. In 2005, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction created the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005–2015: ‘Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities, in order to enable a more systematic planning, implementation, and evaluation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities. In this paper, we examine Indonesia’s success in improving DRR by reviewing the country’s progress in implementing the HFA Priorities for Actions. This includes an analysis of the drivers, challenges, and emerging issues in building resilience to natural hazards. The study is undertaken through literature reviews and interviews with 26 representatives of key organizations in DRR and climate change adaptation (CCA) in Indonesia. Our findings indicate that the building of disaster resilience in Indonesia has been, to a large extent, driven by the existence of the necessary regulatory policies and frameworks and the participation of various non-government stakeholders. Impediments to process include a lack of capacity and capability for DRR at the local government level, a lack of systematic learning and a lack of commitment from the government to mainstream DRR into broader development agendas. Emerging pressing issues that are likely to challenge future resilience-building activities include the integration of DRR and CCA and urban risk governance.
