Coastal areas located in the lowlands are vulnerable to disasters such as sea level rise, hurricanes and tidal floods. Coastal areas, like those in Indonesia, are located below sea level. The vulnerability of coastal areas is exacerbated by high population growth as well as factors such as land subsidence, seawater infiltration and water scarcity. Immediate action is needed to address the impacts of climate change in coastal areas.
To help coastal cities improve their resilience to climate change, CRIC held a workshop on March 19, 2021. The event, organized by Pilot4Dev with the support of UCLG ASPAC, presented solutions from experts in Europe, Indonesia and India to help local governments located in coastal areas anticipate the impacts of climate change. The event, which was attended by 80 participants, attracted a lot of interest from the participating cities.
Indonesian Context
Climate change also has negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and habitat destruction. Sea level rise is changing the structure of coastlines, contributing to coastal abrasion that triggers flooding and seawater intrusion.
Infrastructure development, early warning systems, nature-based solutions and preparedness can be part of an integrated coastal protection solution. They are the foundation for protecting people and the environment. Integrated coastal protection is atool that can be used to address coastal problems in the short and long term.
Knowledge exchange
In this workshop, Marc Igigabel, a researcher from Cerema France (Center for Studies and Expertise on Risk, Environment, Mobility and Urban Planning) presented on the basics of coastal protection, climate change and how existing challenges and hazards can be addressed.
The Head of Sub-Directorate of Vulnerability Identification and Analysis of MoEF, Mr. Arif Wibowo, who was present as a panelist, underlined the importance of national guidelines and the implementation of technical guidelines through capacity building activities and tool development. Mr. Arif Wibowo also shared the Indonesian context for climate change adaptation action, emphasizing the need to translate high-level commitments into policies and incentive mechanisms to scale up community-scale climate action and promote climate literacy. In Indonesia, several projects are currently underway in this regard, such as through Proklim.
Mr. Arif Wibowo also emphasized the important role of early warning systems and climate change mitigation to protect coastal areas. Another panelist, Professor Youssef Diab from Gustave Eiffel University presented several cases of coastal protection in the international context, such as in New Orleans, and indicated that a similar approach needs to be adapted in the Indonesian context.
Regional involvement
Participants, such as the Head of Mataram Environment Agency M Fikri and Mr. Alfan Alfian from Kendari City Environment Agency asked questions about good practices in implementing climate change adaptation in coastal areas for tropical countries. Participants also shared the challenges faced by local governments and island communities.
The workshop was attended by representatives of local governments in Indonesia, including CRIC pilot cities. While not all regions in Indonesia face the threat of coastal disasters, the workshop was an opportunity to provide information on issues faced in coastal areas. Solutions presented by experts can also be tailored to local needs and contexts.
The workshop can be replayed at: https://youtu.be/nhJ-hS89VbI