PKSPL IPB University and Central Java Provincial Government Want Resilient Coastal Communities to Face Climate Change

The Centre for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies (PKSPL) of IPB University held a meeting with the ranks of the Central Java Provincial Government (Pemprov) which took place in the Hall of the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) of Central Java Province. This meeting was held in relation to the implementation plan of the Fisherfolk Empowerment for Climate Resilience and Sustainability (Focus) programme. 

Focus is a programme born from a co-creation process between the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) with the Humanist and Social Innovation Foundation (affiliated with Hivos), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) and PKSPL IPB University. This programme aims to build integrated coastal management for sustainable food systems for fishing communities including women in the Central Java region. 

The Focus programme seeks stronger participation of coastal residents in targeted areas in Central Java in coastal resource planning decision-making, advocacy to promote a more sustainable balance between the use and conservation of marine resources and activities to improve local value chains at the local level. 

Focus was implemented in a consortium format led by the Humanist and Social Innovation Foundation, with members from WALHI, KIARA and PKSPL IPB University. The main intervention elements of Focus until 2026 include lobbying and advocacy, capacity building, collective campaigns, monitoring and evaluation, institutional approaches and coordination of inter-party partnerships.

In this meeting, Andy Afandy as the Deputy of Natural Resources and Environment of PKSPL IPB University said that climate change has caused sea level rise in several coastal areas in Indonesia. The coastal area of Central Java is one of the areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, both on coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods of fishing communities.

"As the beginning of the programme, the PKSPL IPB University team will collect information and data on aspects of coastal governance and aspects of sustainable development and identify gaps related to these two aspects. The results of data processing will be used to develop policy recommendations later," Andy added.

Focus and PKSPL IPB University continue to be committed to realising the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, especially SDGs points 2, 3, 13, 14 and 17.

On the same occasion, Yusmanto as the Head of the Economic Division of the Central Java Province Bappeda said, "Regarding the issues and problems of coastal management along the Pantura from Brebes to Rembang, Central Java Province has collaborated with many donors both from within and outside the state." 

The main problem, he continued, is abrasion and accretion. Sometimes accretion is more than abrasion, so Central Java Province feels lucky because the coastal area increases. However, that happened in 2010, while currently, climate change causes the opposite. Abrasion has reached 5-6 km so that many locations experience tidal floods, even some coastal lands are lost.

"So, the Central Java Provincial Government welcomes the arrival of the Focus and PKSPL IPB University team. We are committed to supporting this programme," said Yusmanto. He also offered workspace facilities for the Focus team while running the programme in Central Java.

The meeting was attended by Bappeda, Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Energy and Mineral Resources Agency (ESDM), Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD), Environment and Hygiene Agency (DLHK), Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Agency, Marine and Fisheries Agency (DKP), Social Service and Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning Agency (DP3AP2KB).  (*/Rz) (IAAS/RUM)