Jakarta – Gender inequality and social vulnerability on the northern coast of Java Island are now facing new pressures: climate change. Collaborative research by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) with Griffith University and Diponegoro University found that rising sea levels and land subsidence are making it increasingly difficult for women and children to meet their basic needs and maintain their quality of life.
At the KONEKSI media gathering on Tuesday, October 28, the results of a study conducted in four vulnerable areas—Jakarta, Semarang, Pekalongan, and Demak—were presented. The study involved hundreds of respondents, the majority of whom were women and children, to explore firsthand how environmental change affects their livelihoods and security.
BRIN Legal Research Center researcher Laely Nurhidayah explained that women are the most affected group because they bear a double burden: continuing to play a role in caring for their families while also earning an income. When agricultural land or fish ponds are submerged by tidal flooding, women must adapt by doing odd jobs in order to survive.
“About 80 per cent of the women we interviewed reported that their income had fallen due to climate change,” Laely said. Drastic changes in the local economy have led to a massive shift from jobs in agriculture and fisheries to more precarious informal work.
Meanwhile, children face equally serious threats. Access to education is disrupted, the risk of exploitation increases, and forced migration becomes an option for many families. In fact, 88 per cent of child respondents reported experiencing flooding in their homes, and nearly 12 per cent experience flooding every day.
Homes destroyed, poverty worsening, forced migration
Not only have livelihoods been lost, but homes have also fallen victim. Research shows that 75 per cent of coastal residents’ homes have been damaged and require rehabilitation. Many families do not have the resources to repair them, further exacerbating the uncertainty of their lives.
These difficult conditions have led to increased poverty and migration to other areas. Those who remain face the possibility of losing more land due to ongoing sea water intrusion.
Researchers caution that the government has not fully recognised climate disasters as a long-term social threat.
“Sea level rise has not been categorised as a disaster in the Disaster Management Law,” said Laely. As a result, government response programs are still dominated by infrastructure solutions such as the construction of dikes, without addressing the root causes of social and gender issues.
The research team urges policy revisions to include aspects of forced migration and the socioeconomic impacts of climate change on women and children. In addition, social protection is needed for women in informal employment, access to continuous education for affected children, provision of safe and inclusive housing, legal reinforcement, and economic empowerment for coastal families.
Adaptive and integrated cross-sectoral policies are considered key to breaking the cycle of vulnerability that continues to threaten the future of the northern coastal communities of Java Island. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: North Coast of Java replanting. 2022. nsh/tanahair.net
