06/03/2026
Coastal communities in Timbulsloko and Tambakrejo (Central Java) are forced to shift from agriculture-based livelihood to aquaculture (by cultivating mussel) as their farming lands are sinking, due to a tidal flood which has persisted in the last 10 years. The tidal flood is triggered by rising sea levels and coastal abrasion caused by climate change and exacerbated by over-extraction of groundwater and the environmental stresses brought by urbanization. However, this shift in livelihood has incurred them additional cost as they have to depend on low-durability bamboo materials for their mussel cultivation activity. Furthermore, women are also left out of economic and financial decision-making processes when these decisions affect their lives significantly.
Rujak Center for Urban Studies (RCUS) works with a consortium involving academia and civil society organizations to strengthen the economic and environmental resilience of locals amid climate change, while ensuring social justice. RCUS is also a core partner in the Pluralizing knowledge on the relations between water risks and land subsidence: knowledge production, organizing, and campaign in Central Java, Indonesia, supported by the Water and Development Partnership Programme (WDPP), which advances collaborative research and plural knowledge systems in addressing water governance and climate adaptation in delta and coastal regions. Read our first web article detailing the initial phase of this project; you can find the link in our bio.
