The Sinking Java (ongoing)

Java in Indonesia is one the most populous island in the world. There are 149,6 million people living on the island and this amount is equivalent to 57% of the total population of Indonesia. And yet, the very dense population is not the only problem faced by the island of Java. Almost half of the coastline in the north of Java has been eroded by the sea. More than 10,000 hectares of land have been lost in the past 15 years.

In the villages which vulnerable to disappearing, the villagers do several ways to be able to survive and live. Barricading their village by stacking sacks of land on the beach and heightening the floor of the house as well as graves where is still intact with soil, are among other things they have been doing. These are forms of human resilience to environmental changes.

There is a saying in Javanese culture, "even if the remaining land is only the size of a finger, it must still be preserved with lives". Some Javanese still adhere to this principle and this is one of the reasons why villagers still living the land of their family inheritance which is slowly sinking.

The Sinking Java (ongoing)

Java in Indonesia is one the most populous island in the world. There are 149,6 million people living on the island and this amount is equivalent to 57% of the total population of Indonesia. And yet, the very dense population is not the only problem faced by the island of Java. Almost half of the coastline in the north of Java has been eroded by the sea. More than 10,000 hectares of land have been lost in the past 15 years.

In the villages which vulnerable to disappearing, the villagers do several ways to be able to survive and live. Barricading their village by stacking sacks of land on the beach and heightening the floor of the house as well as graves where is still intact with soil, are among other things they have been doing. These are forms of human resilience to environmental changes.

There is a saying in Javanese culture, "even if the remaining land is only the size of a finger, it must still be preserved with lives". Some Javanese still adhere to this principle and this is one of the reasons why villagers still living the land of their family inheritance which is slowly sinking.

Rejosari Senik Village, Central Java.

Pantai Bahagia village, North Bekasi, West Java.

Sriwulan village, Central Java.