Steps Taken by Central Java North Coast in Facing Climate Change

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Java Northern Coast (Pantura) is considered to be one of the many coastal areas that will be badly affected by accretion, which is the process of coastal sediment returning to the visible portion of a beach after a submersion event, and abrasion due to the effects of climate change and local land subsidence.

The Central Java Provincial government, in an online discussion on climate change and the threat of sinking in the region, said that they have prepared a number of short term and long term strategies. 

The short term measures include reducing and limiting groundwater exploitation and replacing that with drinking water services provided by tap-water company PAM. There will also be local movements to maintain the watershed in the upstream and planting mangroves in the downstream.

Construction of seawalls and retention ponds will be built in the areas of Semarang and Demak. Construction of stilt houses is also included in the plan. 

According to a number of data, the sinking of Central Java coast is already visible.In addition, the average calculations and monitoring of average rate of land subsidence from 2015-2020 show that Semarang CIty is sinking between 0.9-6.0 centimeters, while Pekalongan is sinking at a faster rate of 2.1-11 centimeter. 

There are at least 13 regencies and cities that face abrasion and accretion, with a total accretion area of 2,601.8 hectare and total abrasion area of 7,957.89 hectares.

Read: Anies Baswedan's Envoy Reveals 3 Threats to Jakarta Sinking

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI