Publications
Evidence with a purpose.
Reports, policy briefs, press releases, books, and public commentary in one searchable archive.
Disasters and MBG food poisoning cases escalate as Indonesia cuts disaster agency budget by 75%: Constitutional Court must urgently review the 2026 State Budget Law
Disasters are intensifying across Indonesia, yet the 2026 budget for the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has been cut by 75.62% to just IDR 491 billion. This allocation amounts to only around 0.4% of the estimated IDR 123.1 trillion in economic and health losses caused by forest and land fires. At the same time, at least 50,000 people have reportedly been affected by suspected food poisoning linked to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Programme. The resulting socioeconomic losses are e
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Are the people being “poisoned” by the government? Tens of thousands affected by suspected MBG-related food poisoning, yet the crisis is treated as trivial
Key Findings from CELIOS Memo #MBG Series 6 The 43,838 victims are not isolated incidents—they reflect a systemic failure. In the first three days of September alone, more than 1,908 people were affected in incidents linked to at least six different SPPG kitchens. MBG-related food poisoning has caused up to IDR 40.38 billion in socioeconomic losses, including medical expenses, productivity losses, and out-of-pocket costs. Nearly IDR 12 billion of these costs must be borne directly by the victims’ families.
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Land fenced off, water locked up: the tangle of energy projects and dispossession of living spaces in East Java
This book documents conflicts over control of the sources of life in several parts of East Java through three main sections. The first section highlights agrarian inequality in Ijen, Bondowoso, where plantation workers and farmers have lived for generations without secure land rights and faced conflicts with state-owned plantations and the expansion of geothermal projects. The second section discusses the water crisis in Batu City. Water, which should belong to everyone, has been turned into a commodity controlled by a handful of peo
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Indonesia told BRICS it wants climate teamwork. Its own fires show why that matters
Opinion article by Bhima Yudhistira Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, published in the Jakarta Globe.
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The hidden cost of fire: economic and health impacts of forest and land fires in Indonesia 2026
CELIOS has released its latest research on the economic and health costs of forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Indonesia throughout January–August 2026. ➖ The total economic and health costs of forest and land fires in Indonesia during January–August 2026 are estimated at Rp39.29–123.1 trillion. The upper-end estimate of Rp123.1 trillion is equivalent to 49.1% of Central Kalimantan’s projected regional GDP in 2026. This estimate does not yet account for a scenario in which forest and land fire
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The murky corners of public procurement law
Opinion article by Muhammad Saleh, published in Tempo.
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How state budget fuels more land and ecological conflicts
An opinion article by zakiul fikri, published in The Jakarta Post.
Read publicationThe Cost of Legal Uncertainty
Opinion article by Muhammad Saleh, published in Katadata.
Read publicationIndonesia should ask Europe to help build its green super grid
Opinion article by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Bhima Yudhistira, published in The Heinrich Böll Stiftung SEA.
Read publicationIndonesia’s nickel production cuts are not enough to create a sustainable industry
Opinion article by Bhima Yudhistira Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, published in Climate Change News.
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Indonesia’s education system battered by MBG
CELIOS’ Latest Study on MBG — 18 August 2026 MBG is still planned to continue in 2027, with an allocation of Rp240 trillion, equivalent to 29.3% of the national education budget. The government is failing to respond to the warning signs, learn from past failures, and fulfill its responsibility. Since Sudaryono was appointed, at least 1,557 people have reportedly been affected by suspected food poisoning linked to MBG. Yet instead of addressing the root causes and ensuring accountability, thes
Read publicationWhat Indonesia’s 2027 budget really says about the Middle East
Opinion article by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat Bhima Yudhistira, published in Middle East Monitor.
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