Report and Disseminate the Information Regarding
the Serious Disaster
Eruption of Mount Ile Lewotolok, Indonesia
November 2020
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia
On November 29, 2020, there was an eruption of Mount Ile Lewotolok or Mount Ile Ape, in Lembata District at East Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia. The affected areas which are 17 villages in Ile Ape Sub-District and 9 villages in East Ile Ape Sub-District were expected to be damaged from this eruption. More than 2,700 people from these 26 villages were evacuated to the safe zone.
The impact of the eruption has not affected the whole picture of Indonesia crop production because Ile Ape Sub-District and East Ile Ape Sub-District are not Indonesian main crop producer for rice and maize. Regarding the eruption, 18 hectares or approximately 34.27 tonnes of upland rice and 5 hectares or approximately 9.61 tonnes of maize in Ile Ape Sub-District were damaged. In addition, 15 hectares or approximately 28.56 tonnes of the upland rice and 2 hectares or approximately 3.84 tonnes of the maize in East Ile Ape Sub-District were also damaged. This total damaged area is not much compared to the national crop production area. Therefore, the total damaged area from the eruption of Mount Ile Lewotolok was not had a significant impact on national food supply as a whole in Indonesia.
In this regard, Indonesia government mainly provided assistances in term of food, medicine and shelter posts for the refugees. Moreover, there were food assistance from districts nearby to support two damaged sub-districts. While there is still no help from other countries’ governments. However, the future effect is many plantation/lands will be abandoned or late in planting, which will cause a decrease in productivity and impact on food security in these two districts. The Indonesian local government and volunteers will help farmers to re-cultivate crops.
Word File: Eruption of Mt Ile Lewotolok in Indonesia
The agricultural sector plays a vital role in supporting food security and livelihoods across ASEAN, where diverse production capacities shape the availability of major agricultural commodities such as rice, maize, sugarcane, soybean, and cassava. This report examines the SSR patterns across ASEAN to emphasize regional strengths, structural imbalances, and the implications for food security and agricultural policy in the region.
The self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) is a key indicator of food security. It shows how well Southeast Asian countries can meet rice demand through domestic production, with the region overall remaining increasingly self-sufficient despite ongoing challenges.
.jpg)
On 19 March 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum 2026 under the theme “Feeding the Future, Sustaining the Planet” in Manila, the Philippines, organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) . The forum aimed to promote food security policies, review ADB’s related initiatives, and support long-term food systems transformation.
.JPG)
On 5–6 March 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the 14th Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Council via video conference, hosted by the Kingdom of Cambodia. The meeting brought together representatives from ASEAN Plus Three countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board (AFSRB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the APTERR Secretariat, and the AFSIS Secretariat to discuss key issues related to regional food security and emergency rice reserves.
