The Impact of Climate Change on Indonesian Coastal Areas

Indonesia, as the largest archipelago in the world, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. With more than 60% of its population living in coastal zones, the risks from rising sea levels, stronger waves, and warming seas are becoming increasingly severe.

The impact of climate change on Indonesian coastal areas is not only an environmental crisis but also a threat to food security, livelihoods, and long-term resilience.

One major challenge is sea level rise and coastal erosion. For example, studies show that Indonesian coastlines, including those in Surabaya, have already experienced significant shoreline changes, with up to 55 meters of coastal retreat recorded in some areas (Bilhaq & Idajati, 2024).

Consequently, this erosion threatens coastal villages, infrastructure, and tourism areas. Similarly, in Demak, Central Java, tidal flooding has transformed once-productive land into submerged zones, illustrating the visible consequences of global warming (Andreas et al., 2017).

In addition, the warming of sea surface temperatures is another concern. Changes in ocean temperature are linked to coral bleaching, which reduces fish populations and disrupts marine biodiversity.

In Southeast Sulawesi, for instance, bleaching has severely impacted coral reef ecosystems, reducing local fisheries and undermining coastal community livelihoods (Kasim, 2020). As a result, these ecological changes directly threaten Indonesia’s food security, particularly in regions dependent on fisheries (Rizal & Anna, 2019).

Beyond ecological impacts, Climate change also poses risks to coastal communities’ social resilience. Research on Jakarta Bay and Benoa Bay highlights that reclamation projects combined with climate impacts have worsened vulnerability.

Many communities lack sufficient adaptation policies and social safety nets to cope with recurring floods and environmental degradation (Warsilah, 2020).

Furthermore, the health dimension cannot be ignored. Rising seas, poor sanitation from floods, and shifting mosquito habitats increase risks of malaria, dengue, and waterborne diseases in Indonesian coastal zones (Wirawan, 2010).

In particular, vulnerable groups such as women in coastal Sendang Biru face additional socioeconomic and health burdens, making climate change not only an environmental but also a gendered issue (Rosalinda et al., 2024).

Conclusion

The impact of climate change on Indonesian coastal areas is evident in rising seas, coral reef bleaching, food insecurity, and health risks. Without urgent adaptation measures and stronger policies, millions of coastal residents could face displacement and livelihood collapse. Protecting Indonesia’s coastlines is therefore both an environmental necessity and a human survival imperative.

Reference

Andreas, H., Pradipta, D., Abidin, H. Z., & Gumilar, I. (2017). Early pictures of global climate change impact to the coastal area of Semarang and Demak, Indonesia. International Journal of Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction

Bilhaq, M. D., & Idajati, H. (2024). Level of Climate Change-Related Coastline Change Case Study: East Coast Tourism Area of Surabaya, Indonesia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1353(1), Article 012043. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1353/1/012043

Kasim, M. (2020). Measuring vulnerability of coastal ecosystem and community in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science.

Rizal, A., & Anna, Z. (2019). Climate change and its possible food security implication toward Indonesian marine and fisheries. World Scientific News.

Rosalinda, D., Hadi, S., & Setiawan, I. (2024). The ecofeminist perspective on the impact of climate change on coastal women in Sendang Biru. Gender, Technology and Development.

Warsilah, H. (2020). Resilience of coastal cities in facing climate change: A study in Jakarta Bay and Benoa Bay, Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Geography.

Wirawan, D. N. (2010). Public health responses to climate change and health impacts in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Public Health.