I was born and grew up in
Semarang, capitol of Central Java. Yeah, Semarang is a coastal city. And many
people hear about Semarang will definitely remember the local song titled
"Semarang Kaline Banjir”.
Peoples lives in Semarang really knew that
Semarang has flooded by rob and abrasion. We usually called Rob and Abrasion
for sea level rise and coastal erosion.
Every year. Flooding by Rob and
abrasion became a common sight in my town. Even could have sunk the buildings,
roads, markets, houses and many infrastructures. And the condition would get
worse at the beginning of the month.
At the time I didn't have any
personal concern to this coastal city because I moved to Jakarta for studied
and worked. But 12 years ago, I decided to back to my hometown and started my
career as a journalist on a local broadcast radio. I covered local issues,
government, economy, and ceremonial activities. Yes, almost local journalists
did just like I did. Worked every day as the boss wish. I almost did the same
thing everyday that really made me feels
like a robot.
2 years later, I got an email
invitation from Deutsche Welle Germany to submit a climate change story in Indonesia and
became a fellow to covering climate change. This story will be published
by Deutsche Welle Radio at COP 13 in Bali in
2007.
I was so glad even though I
really didn't have any interesting ideas for my proposal to be approved. I
didnt know coz Climate change was something that I never think deeply. I never
learned before to understand this issue.
Then I remembered “Semarang
Kaline Banjir”. Rob and abrasion became my idea of my stories on climate
change. Then I went and traced the worst areas along the coast of Java that was
hit by sea level rise and coastal erosion. I worked for 2 weeks, saw the
impact, met local people, scientist, find the document researches.
And from my experience, I learned
many things. Not only about reporting techniques, but also learned to understand
the real climate change issues and brought to the local context.
Sayung, Demak, Central Java one
of the village I visited, had been abandoned by almost the entire people. Yes,
many villages along the north coastal of Java are threatened to disappear by
coastal erosion. I met the researchers
who had a lot of research on the topic said that coastal erosion in Java
occurred since 60 years ago. Land subsidence
and sea level rise reaching a quarter centimeter per year due to global
warming. Massive buildings construction and groundwater suction also make the
land subsidence an average at 20
centimeters per year.
I went to Sayung many times, and
the last time was the end of last year. Some area was getting worst than
before.
Pak Nurohman, a local resident
accompanied me to traced the village by perahu (a small boat) because it was
the only way to reach the place. My memory back to the first time I came to the
village 9 years before. At that time, half of the houses had been left by
residents because the houses had been damaged, destroyed, just like living
debris, and sunk by coastal erosion.
Several local residents still
lived there. The fisherman went to the sea as the main livelihood. Economic
activity was still alive, of course in a bad situation. The main road in the
village was still passable by cars. I walked down and follow the path to the
edge of the village.
But, what we saw was just only
memory. Everything I've seen in this village 9 years ago was gone. I only saw
the roofs of houses and mangrove trees that become the habitat of herons.
Yeah of course, The government
also seeks to solve the problem. Build green belt, the breakwater with billions
of fund, revitalization fish cultivation. And revitalizing the mangrove
ecosystem that is considered the best solution.
The Ministry of Marine Affairs
and Fisheries also restoring the coastline with Nature Building Program to
built a coastal shelter natural waves breaker called hybrid engineering from
twigs and wood. This technology was adopted from Netherlands and believed to be
able to reduce coastal erosion rate and stabilize the coastline.
Many Efforts to adapt to self-help
by local people with build breakwater, plants mangroves, make the stage house.
But Its not comparable with the massive disaster in front of their eyes.
Coastal erosion continued to crash the lives of hundreds of families in
Village. Many villages in Sayung were sinking. Houses and infrastructure are
destroyed, economic slumps, they lost livelihoods and social relations ties.
The local government considers
that relocation to be the best choice for them. But is that the best choice?
I
was remembered Pak Sumadi, a local resident in Tanggultlare, Jepara, north
coast of Java who I met. He showed his sunken village in the middle of the sea.
He told me how hard to adaptand living in a new place. Not enough one time relocation,
coastal erosion makes Saadah, an old woman in Jepara and other residents
relocated up to 3 times. They live in a new village, which is 5 kilometers from
the origin village. But that was 9 years ago. What happens right now? Honestly,
I don't know.
Coastal erosion that occurred in
Sayung area, Central Java for the last 20 years was estimated to be the largest
in coastal areas in Indonesia. The area affected by erosion reached more than 20,000
hectares causing the coastline retreating along 5 kilometers from the coastline
in 1994.
Some local people who choose to
survive adapt, makes a village regulations to protect coastal areas with
mangrove conservation and prohibition shoot herons. Developing mangrove
ecotourism, mangrove culinary and mangrove batik to improve economic life.
Adaptation to the nature also are
done by farmers in Temanggung, in the highlands in the south of Java, those who
fought for the droughts every years. They build fog harvesting to collect water
sources like the farmer in Cuba did.
They work together with Gajahmada University students to apply and trial
the first eco-friendly technology in Indonesia.
But it didn’t last long because
there was no support from the local farmer's community and local government.
Farmers seem to face it themselves. fog
harvesting tools from nets and bamboo were damaged. Farmers helpless and they
failed to harvest vegetable crops and paddy.
Yes, Indonesia had a serious
threatening and vulnerability the impacts of climate change. Not only sea level
rise, disturbances in the agricultural sector, droughts and food security. But
the loss of rainforests because of palm oil and forests fires are the greatest
threat and challenge. It increases
Indonesia's greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
Harvest failures, food crises,
and forest fire are common and become subscriptions every year. The disaster is
actually in sight and it should not be regarded as ordinary. too much of a real
impact. But we seem to look that the
existing problems not the impact of climate change because this happens with
various other causes.
Nature will always seek to
balance. But, is it fair that those who will suffer are who have been living in
harmony side by side with nature?
Yeah, it probably will not happen
if the media take the role and influence and become a bridge between citizens
and governments to combat climate change.
The lack of media to covering
climate change and environmental issues occurs because the media seem don’t
care about this issue. The media industry only pursuing profits with attracts
public attention with politics,
economics, and national issues than climate change. That’s may be the reason why almost all media in
Indonesia dont have an environmental rubrication. I observed only large
companies such as Kompas daily with environmental rubrics combined with science
technology and health. BBC Indonesia. Natgeo. Or mongabay.id and green radio
that is focused on environmental issues.
This condition makes journalist
lack ability and understanding to covering this specific issue. Journalists
don’t have discourse and any concern. I said that because of many media not
willing to spend money for journalists and no much space in the media to cover
this issues.
Yes, I am sure that the media
keeps reporting on climate change and the environmental issue but within the
framework of news events, such as a live report of floods and forest fires. Not
look at climate change context.
Many efforts to reduce the impact
of climate change in Indonesia, but so far not been maximized. It's as if we
are in Indonesia running on our own. Farmers and fishermen adapt them selves.
The central government and local governments also had policy making with they
own way.
The other hand, many journalists try to bring and present
environmental and climate change issues by involved in organization. In
Indonesia, we have many such like The Society of Indonesian Environmental
Journalists and The Alliance of Independent Journalists.
Coz, Not only having high vitality,
Organization is one of the best way for Indonesian journalists to get
connected, networking, and meet scientists who have a lot of research on
climate change. And provides many opportunities for journalists to improve
their skills with training, workshops, fellowship, assistance, and advocacy if
journalists are in trouble in the field.
I know it is not easy but it's
not difficult either. The Press become the most effective medium to awake
peoples to makes them realize and aware of the worst effects of climate change.
I am sure if journalists and the media have discourse and concern that this is
important. They can do this.
Journalists and media have a role
to inform, to voice, and to give understanding to the public that climate
change is real. Climate change is around us, and impact on us. This is a
challenge for us to hand in hand. Not walking alone in facing climate change!
*My Presentation in public lecture at Regional Conference, Getting The Message Across “Telling the Story of Global
Change: Better Journalistic Reporting on Climate Change and Sustainable Development”,
8 - 10 November 2017, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
UNESCO in partnership with Nottingham University and The Universiti Sains Malaysia.
