Ecocide in Java: Industrial Development Worsens Coastal Sinking and Flooding

Coastal North Java Faces Imminent Threat of Submergence Due to Industrial Projects and Environmental Degradation

Coastal communities in North Java are facing an escalating crisis as rising sea levels and land subsidence threaten to submerge numerous villages. Experts and environmental activists attribute this impending disaster to government-backed industrial projects that are accelerating the rate of submersion.

The Indonesian government has allocated at least 18,882 hectares of land along the Pantura coastline for industrial development, designating these areas as Special Economic Zones (KEK) and National Strategic Projects (PSN) across East Java, Central Java, and West Java.

This land conversion has resulted in the destruction of vital mangrove ecosystems, while also leading to the inevitable exploitation of groundwater and natural gas resources.

The North Java coast naturally experiences land subsidence of approximately 1-2 cm annually. However, the construction of industrial zones like KEK and PSN on the region’s soft alluvial soil has added an additional 2 cm of subsidence per year.

These combined factors contribute to a minimum land subsidence rate of 4 cm per year. However, the industrial exploitation of groundwater and natural gas is driving subsidence rates even higher, leading to increasingly severe and damaging coastal flooding (rob).

If unchecked industrialization continues, the accelerated land subsidence could cause the Pantura region to become submerged faster and more severely than predicted by Climate Central in its 2030 and 2100 forecasts.

Experts warn that the government’s plan to construct a 480-kilometer giant sea wall along Pantura will be a “pseudo solution” unless the unchecked extraction of groundwater is addressed.

This report marks the first installment in an extensive series exposing what some are calling “ecocide”—the structured, massive, and systematic destruction of the environment—along the Pantura coastline.

This initial installment delves into the plight of residents caught in a climate emergency that is rapidly submerging the region, while also examining the government’s proposed “pseudo solutions.”

The Story from Indramayu Coast: ‘I am an Amphibious Human’

An elderly man sits on a long wooden chair inside his home, sipping a cup of coffee made by his wife as he gazes out the side door.

From his vantage point, several Api-api mangroves (Avicennia spp.), each about one meter tall, dot the surrounding landscape.

Some of these mangroves arrived with the relentless surge of seawater during high tide, known locally as ‘rob’.

“Usually, the rob will start rising soon,” says Suwandi, 65, during an interview at his home in mid-June.

Suwandi’s home is located in Blok Empang, Eretan Wetan, Kandanghaur District, Indramayu Regency, West Java.

The sole access to this village is a narrow, one-meter-wide path that branches off from the main road. This path has been eroded over time, leaving behind slippery piles of stones that are constantly submerged by the encroaching tide.

For more than a decade, Suwandi’s house has been relentlessly inundated by seawater. He can no longer remember the last time he stood on truly dry ground.

“For 24 hours a day, my feet are submerged for 12 hours. I am an amphibious human,” Suwandi says, his eyes glistening with emotion.

Suwandi is a third-generation resident of Blok Empang. He recalls that in the mid-1990s, the coastline was more than a kilometer away from their homes. Back then, none of the houses were affected by flooding.

Suwandi remembers the first major flood he experienced in 2014. A torrential flood, with a powerful current flowing from south to north, destroyed the embankments of the fishponds and ravaged the entire shoreline of Eretan Wetan.

For the fish farmers, the cost of repairing the damaged embankments was prohibitively expensive. Although there were attempts to fix them, these actions actually worsened the damage.

Eventually, the embankments were abandoned, marking the beginning of a permanent disaster.

Coastal flooding began to seep in regularly, gradually inundating the fishponds until they disappeared entirely, swallowed by abrasion.

Initially, the water only flooded the village streets. Gradually, the floodwaters began to rise, entering the homes of residents.

During that time, the coastal flooding was relatively mild; the duration of the inundation was short, lasting only about an hour, and the water would recede quickly.

However, the situation has now changed drastically. The intensity of the coastal flooding has increased in frequency and duration.

Now, the high tide can flood homes for more than 12 hours, reaching heights of up to one meter.

“Now, the flooding happens every day,” he says.

Under normal circumstances, the coastal flooding starts to rise in the settlement at exactly 2 p.m. and only recedes 12 hours later, at 2 a.m.

However, this timing is not guaranteed, as the height and duration of the flooding now fluctuate unpredictably.

During a return visit to his home in late June, the coastal flooding had already begun to rise at 10 a.m.

Slowly but surely, the seawater crept higher. Initially, it only reached ankle-level, but the water gradually began to surround the furniture and wet the feet of the residents. By midday, the floodwaters had reached a height of about 30 cm.

During the day, the entire settlement of Blok Empang is submerged. The only access road—a rocky path one meter wide—is swallowed by the floodwaters and difficult to traverse.

Blok Empang becomes a small island, isolated from the outside world whenever the coastal flooding strikes.

Inevitably, residents must find creative ways to enter and exit the village. They use stacks of cork assembled into simple boats, using poles to propel themselves forward.

The journey takes about 15-20 minutes, passing through flooded fishponds that are more than 1 meter deep. Those wanting to travel faster are forced to wade through the flooded village streets, risking slips, trips, and falls into holes.

“Here, healthy people are like sick people because they have to walk slowly. Sick people are like dead people because they have to be carried, and if someone dies, they have to stay with neighbors in villages that are not flooded,” Suwandi laments the suffering endured by the residents of Blok Empang.

Residents have tried everything, including raising their doors and installing makeshift embankments to hold back the water. But the increasingly intense waves of coastal flooding have left them feeling defeated.

Many houses have cracked walls and broken ceramic floors. Even when repaired, they are soon submerged again. Eventually, the residents give up.

“Our environment has entered the ICU; we have surrendered to nature,” says Suwandi, bitterly.

That afternoon, Suwandi’s house—a place where the residents of Blok Empang usually gather to express their woes—welcomed Abdur Razak, 59, who shared his story of relocation.

He admitted that he has been forced to rent a place in a drier neighboring village for the past year because he could no longer bear to see his children wading through floodwaters on their way to and from school.

“I feel sorry for the children when they go to school,” says Razak, who works as a fisherman every day.

Razak’s old home—located east of Suwandi’s house—is not easily accessible. The road leading there has been submerged by more than one meter of seawater.

To cross it, everyone must walk on a series of bamboo poles, about 5 meters long, that now serve as a makeshift bridge.

Razak has managed to rent a house this year, but he does not know what will happen next year. For him, the most important thing is that his children can go to school comfortably.

“If I have the money, I’ll continue. If not, I’ll come back here,” he says resignedly.

Suwandi, who is regarded as an elder in Blok Empang, must now face a bitter reality: seeing his neighbors begin to leave Eretan Wetan.

Those who have money will move and look for a better place to live. But those who do not have money have no choice but to stay. Resigned.

“I have resigned myself. There is no other choice,” says Suwandi, who breeds crabs every day.

“My income is just enough to get by,” he adds.

Initially, there were 47 houses in Blok Empang. But gradually, they moved. Now, only about 35 houses remain, occupied by about 50 families.

Like humans in general, Suwandi longs for a decent place to live, free from flooding. In his old age, he also wants to be able to worship in peace and tranquility.

“I have already told my wife that if there is no change today, in one year, we have to move. Because we are getting older, we have to think about our relationship with God, so that we don’t die persecuted,” says Suwandi in a flat voice.

“We’ll move to a safe place. Even being a mosque caretaker is fine.”

That afternoon felt so long, and walking inside Suwandi’s house was like walking in a pool. Indeed, his feet were never really dry.

He then walked to the back of the house, towards a pile of buckets containing farmed crabs. There, he sorted the crabs that were ready to be harvested.

He obtained the initial capital for his business from his brother. Although the profit is not much, the crabs are enough for Suwandi to meet his living needs.

“The important thing is that it’s halal,” he says.

For the residents, boots are a necessity—used to protect their feet when the coastal flooding strikes or when socializing with neighbors.

These visits and conversations are their way of surviving psychologically, seeking entertainment from their never-ending suffering.

Between Razak’s and Suwandi’s houses is Ningsih’s house, 42 years old. In front of her house, a pair of yellow boots that she always wears for her daily activities.

“This has become a mandatory item that residents here must have,” said Ningsih while showing her yellow boots, which are 30 centimeters high.

Ningsih is a resident of Blok Empang who works as a fish processor in a fish storage warehouse every day.

Her husband is a fisherman who catches shrimp in the river and sometimes goes out to sea with other fishermen.

Ningsih’s income from processing fish is not much, and her working hours are uncertain. Whenever she comes home late at night, the rocky road in her village is already flooded.

Inevitably, Ningsih must pass through it because it is the only access to her home.

She understands the risks. Especially if the boots she wears always let water in. Falling and falling into holes is common.

“At most, I’ll fall because the road is rocky,” said Ningsih about the incident she experienced when crossing the rocky road on her way home from work in low light conditions.

One day, flooding occurred when Ningsih and her husband were still working outside and their two children were not at home. Ningsih’s house, which had been raised several times, was still flooded.

Ningsih, who came home earliest, immediately collapsed upon finding the condition of her house. All of her household appliances were submerged, including the television and refrigerator.

“The TV and refrigerator were dead, submerged. When no one was home,” said Ningsih, showing the contents of her house.

She sometimes lets the water stagnate in several corners of the house because when it is cleaned, the water will definitely come and enter the house again in the afternoon.

“I’m tired,” she said briefly.

Ningsih actually wants to move because she thinks living in Blok Empang is no longer worth it. She also can’t bear to see her children, who are still in school, flood every day.

However, financial conditions force Ningsih and her family to endure the flood that has become a daily menu in her village.

“If I want to move, where can I move to? There is no other place. So just stay here,” said Ningsih, resigned.

The residents of Eretan Wetan, said Ningsih, once protested the government for allowing their suffering.

“Flooding has been happening for decades. This is a systematic act of neglect,” said Supriyanto, 40 years old, when met in Eretan Wetan Village at the end of last June.

Supriyanto is one of the residents of Eretan Wetan who took part in visiting the Regent’s office and the Indramayu DPRD on Monday, June 23, 2025. This was the umpteenth time they had demonstrated.

At that time, hundreds of residents of Eretan Wetan came to the office of the Indramayu Regent, West Java, carrying a number of posters and banners.

“Eretan Refuses to Sink,” was one of the writings on the banner they unfurled.

Supriyanto and other residents asked for the government’s seriousness in resolving the long suffering experienced by the residents of Eretan Wetan.

They also demanded the promise of relocation and road construction, which until now has no certainty.

“Our suffering has been long enough,” he said, with tears in his eyes.

According to Supriyanto, almost 100 percent of the 3,700 houses in Eretan Wetan are always submerged. More than 10,000 residents were affected and the worst was in Blok Empang, where Suwandi and Ningsih lived.

If coastal flooding occurs, the water level can reach more than 1 meter.

“[Flooding] sometimes comes in the middle of the night, many mothers and children can’t sleep until morning. This disrupts our psychology and mental state,” complained the father of three children.

In the past, flooding only occurred for 3-4 days in one month, usually during the full moon. But lately, the opposite is true. Flooding only recedes for 3-4 days, the rest is always flooded.

“Our generation, our children here, are forced to face Golden Indonesia with the threat of wet lungs, with daily flooding conditions,” Supriyanto vented his emotions with tears in his eyes.

“Every day [we] take in water, this is a form of allowed torture,” he said later, still angrily.

Neglect after neglect of the suffering of the residents of Eretan Wetan, according to Supriyanto, triggered rumors that Eretan Wetan Village was targeted for evacuation, by allowing flooding to continue and the settlements to sink by themselves.

In fact, said Supriyanto, many houses have been evacuated and abandoned. Supriyanto calculated that there were about 30 hectares of fishponds and residents’ land that had been transferred to one of the entrepreneurs.

“There must be a plan to build something here,” said Supriyanto.

Supriyanto’s suspicion is linked to a number of factories that have been built along Pantura in recent years. And Eretan Wetan will later become part of the construction of an industrial area along Pantura-Indramayu.

“In Losarang too, many factories have started to be built,” said Supriyanto.

Losarang, which Supriyanto mentioned, if drawn in a straight line, is about 8.5 kilometers from Eretan Wetan.

In that area, an industrial allocation area was built, part of the Rebana National Strategic Project (PSN).

Last March, PT Wiratama Indramayu Perkasa, the industrial area development company, revealed the total development plan for this industrial project covering an area of 1,000 hectares. As many as 300 hectares have been released as of March 2025.

Around 20 companies have stated their readiness to operate in the area.

“We are proposing to the Ministry of Industry that the area we are building be officially designated as the Losarang Industrial Area,” said Edward Sofiananda, president director of PT Wiratama Indramayu Perkasa.

In the industrial development map of the Rebana Area, and the Spatial Planning Plan Map (RTRW) of Indramayu Regency 2024-2044, the right and left sides of Eretan Wetan along Pantura have been designated as Industrial Allocation Areas.

The designation makes Eretan Wetan sandwiched between industrial areas. KPI Losarang to the east, and KPI Patrol to the west.

Until this report was published, Indramayu Regent Lucky Hakim had not provided an answer regarding the problems that occurred in Indramayu.

However, on several occasions, he promised the residents of Eretan Wetan to build embankments and plant mangroves.

He also gave the relocation option. But he said that some residents did not want to, because it would only distance them from the activities or work they had been doing in Eretan Wetan. Finally, it was agreed to build an embankment.

The Regent, who once starred in a soap opera entitled Bukan Mawar Tapi Melati, also discussed the Eretan Wetan problem with West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi. They agreed to build 900 stilt houses.

But until now, the embankment construction that the residents of Eretan Wetan have been hoping for has not yet been realized.

The Story from Kendal Coast: ‘The Root of the Problem is Land Conversion’

About 260 km from Indramayu, Sulistyaningsih, 47 years old, was cleaning the floor of her bedroom, which had been flooded with her daughter.

Puddles of water were still visible in several rooms, such as the kitchen and living room. The floor still felt wet on the feet, and the walls of the house felt cold and damp.

Electronic goods were still evacuated on top of the bedroom, while the chairs in the living room were still piled up haphazardly.

Wasito, 52 years old, Sulistyaningsih’s husband, then arranged the chairs in the living room to sit down. He didn’t arrange all the chairs because he was worried that the flood would return.

“This is the remainder of the coastal flood yesterday afternoon, this morning it started to recede,” said Wasito, while pointing his index finger at the rooms in his house that were still flooded, at the beginning of last July.

Wasito’s house is located on the coast of Kartikajaya Village, Patebon District, Kendal Regency, Central Java. For the umpteenth time, his house was flooded.

The first flood this year occurred last May, flooding around 200 families.

“May was the worst, the height was almost 1 meter for four days,” said Wasito, while adding that in the following months, coastal flooding returned to visit the residents’ homes.

Since last July, said Wasito, the intensity of coastal flooding in Kartikajaya has become monthly, no longer annual.

The man who works as a civil servant (ASN) at the Kendal Regency Environmental Service said that in the past, major floods only occurred once every four years.

He gave an example, the big flood occurred in 2000. At that time, the water flooded around 80 houses of coastal residents in Kartikajaya.

Fifteen years later, in 2015, the intensity began to increase, namely once every two years. In 2022, more and more houses were flooded.

In 2024, the intensity increased again. No longer once every two years, but throughout the year. On the other hand, the settlements that were flooded became more widespread.

“This year 2025, it’s monthly,” said Wasito.

Wasito then looked straight ahead. From where he was sitting in the living room, he could directly see the Tancang tree (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza), which he planted in front of his house.

This mangrove planting was carried out after seeing more and more green belt areas—natural green land areas—in the Kendal coastal area being damaged, even lost.

Wasito suspects that this is one of the reasons why abrasion in Kendal is becoming more intense and massive. In his observation, very strong abrasion and big coastal flooding in Kendal have occurred since 2019.

“The root of the problem is land conversion,” said Wasito, softly.

The Kendal coast, which was originally a mangrove area, according to Wasito, has been transformed into an industrial area.

The mangrove planting carried out by Wasito was not only around his residence, but along the Kendal coast—starting from Ngebum Beach to the Waridin River estuary.

The type of mangrove planted there is Api-api (Avicennia spp.). The trees grow naturally and can protect the coastal area.

For his services in preserving the environment by planting mangroves on the coast, Wasito was awarded the Kalpataru award in 2020.

However, the preservation efforts carried out by Wasito are hampered by land conversion. The coast, which used to be a stretch of mangroves, has now disappeared because it has been landfilled and reclaimed.

“Where there is reclamation, there will definitely be abrasion next to it,” said Wasito, referring to his experience on the Demak coast, which also experienced coastal flooding and abrasion.

The construction of a port around the Kendal special economic zone (KEK), according to Wasito, has worsened the environmental conditions because it has eliminated mangroves. As a result, abrasion is rampant.

“From the land conversion, some have become industrial areas, some have become modern ponds, finally the mangrove forests that previously existed have been cleared or cut down,” said Wasito.

“So the mangrove forest as a natural wave barrier is no longer there,” he said later.

The distance between Wasito’s house and KEK Kendal is quite far, if drawn in a straight line the distance is about 10 kilometers.

However, the loss of natural protected areas coupled with massive industrial development on the Kendal coast, according to him, could have an impact on all coasts in Kendal.

At least that is also felt by Turmudzi, 64 years old, who lives about 2.5 km from KEK Kendal.

Turmudzi said that coastal flooding in Purwokerto Village, Brangsong District, Kendal Regency, where he lives, has entered residents’ homes and is increasingly intense. Even though in previous years, this had never happened.

“A little bit flooding, a little bit flooding,” said Turmudzi, annoyed.

According to Turmudzi, the collision between coastal water from the sea and irrigation water causes the water to overflow into the roads to the villages. That is why flooding always occurs during the rainy season.

“That also includes the influence of KEK,” said Turmudzi.

The existence of KEK Kendal, which carries out industrial area development on the coast, according to him, causes water to overflow everywhere, and sedimentation occurs in the estuaries of small rivers.

This sedimented irrigation canal and river, causes the water not to be able to flow. This is what Turmudzi means as a collision between sea water and irrigation water. The impact overflows to the streets and villages.

“In Javanese terms, it adds to the overflow, overflowing to the surrounding community to the right and left of the area,” explained Turmudzi.

Around Turmudzi’s house, there are several irrigation canals that lead directly to the sea. Local residents call it Kali Wedus.

The river is about 3 meters wide. On one side is a road for vehicles to pass, while the other side is a pond and rice field area.

The water looks calm and when tracing the river estuary, there is sedimentation.

As evening approaches, some of the river water overflows and spills into the roads. Some of the other water spills into the pond or rice field area.

This overflow is what Turmudzi means as the collision of coastal water and river water.

“Yes, that’s the collision and overflow,” said Turmudzi.

The collision, according to Turmudzi and other residents around the river, had never happened before.

They only felt it after there was industrial development on the coast, which they considered to be landfilling ponds and close to the river. As a result, sedimentation and shallowing occurred in the river estuary.

Executive Director of KEK Kendal, Juliani Kusumaningrum, believes that flooding around the area occurs “because the drainage channels are clogged or closed”.

“But for our own area, we are not moving channels. That doesn’t exist,” Juliani emphasized.

Regarding the increasing disappearance of the mangrove ecosystem in Kendal due to land conversion, Juliani denied the accusations, while emphasizing that “the mangroves remain, we are not doing anything”.

The situation that occurred on the north coast of Kendal, according to her, cannot be separated from what is called land subsidence.

“Meanwhile, what is happening with land subsidence is residential areas that are outside the area,” said Juliani, last July.

“We know that problem exists, but this settlement is located close to the area or it could be said that this area has a settlement. Our settlement remains its function as a settlement, it is not moved.”

The efforts made by the KEK Kendal manager to mitigate coastal flooding, said Juliani, are by installing automatic pumps that send a signal if the water level is at the threshold. The pump turns on immediately.

“As soon as the pump turns on, there shouldn’t be flooding. But, why does flooding still occur?”

“Those are actually other areas around Kendal that actually have nothing to do with the existence or absence of an industrial area,” Juliani emphasized.

With the land subsidence that is occurring on the north coast of Java, Juliani emphasized the need for coastal protection, such as the giant sea wall that the government is promoting.

“The giant sea wall should actually be a priority, not only for our area, but for Central Java actually, especially the Demak, Sayung area, as well as areas close to Tanjung Mas,” she said.

“If it’s that season, it’s definitely an annual phenomenon every year, [coastal flooding] will definitely happen, it can’t be missed.”

The Story from Gresik Coast: ‘If This Road is Cut Off, Maybe the Whole Village Will Sink’

About 375 km away from Kendal, a section of road in Manyar, Gresik Regency, East Java, was also flooded at the end of last May. Coastal water also entered the homes of residents at the end of the village, near the Kalimireng estuary.

“Residents at the very end are often submerged, between 20-30 cm,” said Isharul Munir, 43 years old, when met at the Kalimireng Fishermen’s Hall, at the beginning of last August.

Isharul doesn’t remember exactly when coastal flooding began to submerge roads and residents’ homes. But he felt there had been a change in his village.

“It only happened after the rise of reclamation and ponds being landfilled for industrial areas,” he added about the beginning of his village often flooding, “said Isharul.”

In Manyar District, there is indeed an industrial area development labeled the Gresik Special Economic Zone (KEK), or called the Java Integrated Industrial Port Estate (JIIPE) Gresik.

The location is very close to the Kalimireng Fishermen’s Hall, only about 3.5 km away. Around the Fishermen’s Hall and along the Kalimireng river, Api-api trees (Avicennia spp.) grow very dominantly.

Isharul showed the abundance of the mangrove ecosystem, saying that the existence of the forest has saved the village connecting road from abrasion and the threat of sinking.

“If this road is cut off (sunk), maybe the whole village of Manyar will also sink with a worse height,” said Isharul.

The mangrove planting in Manyar, which started in 2004, is believed by residents to be a natural protector from abrasion and a home for the coastal ecosystem. This area has 28 types of mangroves that are spread to the edge of the beach and residents’ ponds.

Isharul knows the location very well, because he is part of the Manyar Sidomukti Community Supervisory Group (Pokmaswas).

However, currently many of these mangrove lands have changed their function. The existence of reclamation and JIIPE construction has eliminated areas that were previously planted with mangroves and caused residents’ ponds to be landfilled.

“There are mangrove areas that have been cut down, disappeared, and replaced by industry,” said Isharul.

Isharul estimates that the area of mangroves lost due to JIIPE construction reaches 300 hectares.

He obtained this figure by calculating 0.1 percent of the total area of JIIPE construction which he said reached 3,000 hectares.

“We take the smallest, and not including swamps, only the ponds. We set 0.1 percent, with 3,000 hectares. It’s already clear how many hundreds of hectares are for the mangroves themselves,” explained Isharul.

Isharul likens the reclamation and landfilling of the coast for industry to a bowl that is given a heavy load, causing the water to overflow uncontrollably.

The loss of natural routes and water catchment areas that have been transformed into industrial buildings makes tidal waves—coastal flooding—easily enter the land.

As a result, coastal flooding now not only occurs around the industrial area, but also extends to neighboring villages, such as Banyuwangi Village, which is now often submerged due to sea water overflow.

As a result, said Isharul, it’s not only around the industrial area, but flooding has also entered other villages, such as in Banyuwangi Village, which is now often submerged due to coastal flooding.

Banyuwangi Village is still in Manyar sub-district, if drawn in a straight line, it is about 4.5 km from the JIIPE location.

One of the residents of Banyuwangi Village, Ahmad Kirom, 70 years old, is now facing coastal flooding that has increased dramatically in intensity.

In the past, his house was rarely flooded, but now it is always submerged by tidal water as high as 30–50 cm, and can even occur twice a month.

“The house is always flooded with tidal water, it can be twice a month,” he said.

To survive, Kirom has raised the floor of his house three times, including raising the place for electronic equipment.

He also made a small embankment at the back door to hold back the overflow of water from the pond behind the house.

Unfortunately, because it is so often submerged, the ceramic floor of Kirom’s house is now cracked, becoming a new path for water to enter.

“When the tide comes in, it can enter through the pores of the ceramic,” he said.

The situation was exacerbated after the village road was raised, causing flood water to enter directly because the floor of his house became lower than the road.

Kirom doesn’t know the exact cause, but he believes the intensity of the coastal flooding is happening because nature has been damaged and there is industrial development on the east coast of his house.

A few kilometers from Kirom’s house, the mangrove area in Tajung Widoro Village, Bungah District, used to be a pond area.

Abdul Fadil, 50 years old, said that abrasion and tidal waves have damaged hundreds of hectares of ponds, and caused pond farmers to suffer losses.

But this situation improved after mangrove planting, abrasion began to be controlled and no longer damaged settlements. Coastal flooding has also decreased, said Fadil.

Seeing the real benefits, the mangrove planting program was expanded in Tajung Widoro, supported by the construction of embankments around the area to ward off tidal waves.

Since then, people near the mangrove area have been protected from abrasion, and pond farmers can continue their activities calmly.

“I am also a tenant of other people’s ponds,” said Fadil.

However, Fadil regrets that currently many mangrove areas have been transformed into industrial areas, such as in the JIIPE development project. Even though mangroves are needed by coastal communities as natural protectors and guardians of the marine ecosystem.

Fadil’s suspicion that reclamation and coastal development damage the environment is getting stronger because his house—located about 6.5 km from JIIPE—is now often flooded.

Previously, major floods only occurred every five to seven years. But after the rise of reclamation and JIIPE construction, almost every day coastal flooding enters the house through the kitchen, which faces the sea.

“In the past, it didn’t reach the front of the house, going to the front of the house had to wait a few years. Now every year it reaches the front of the house,” said Fadil in a high tone.

Meanwhile, Bambang Sutiono Sudijanto, President Director of PT Berkah Kawasan Manyar Sejahtera—the manager of JIIPE—emphasized that his party “has never seen that the existence of JIIPE has caused flooding”.

“Because our location is flanked by two rivers that have a sea behind them. So as long as sea water doesn’t rise significantly, there won’t be flooding,” he said.

“Until now, for 12 years, I have never heard that it was due to reclamation at JIIPE.”

However, according to a geodesy expert from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Heri Andreas, the height of coastal flooding can be a simple indicator of exploitation by industrial areas in Pantura.

For example, in Manyar Village where Isharul lives, coastal flooding reaching more than 30 cm scientifically indicates that there has been land subsidence of more than 10 cm, which is the impact of groundwater exploitation.

Andreas emphasized that the high coastal flooding scientifically proves the existence of exploitation, regardless of the claims of industrial managers who deny the use of groundwater.

“It must be [the impact of] industry,” said Andreas. “Where there is industry, the subsidence is indeed strong,” he added.

Pantura is Sinking Faster

What is happening in Gresik, according to Heri Andreas, is a real example of how the rampant industrialization in Pantura has exacerbated the climate crisis.

The rise in sea level due to climate change and land subsidence on the north coast of Java—which is exacerbated by industrial development—triggers increasingly intense coastal flooding and a domino effect that harms the community.

“The burden of infrastructure and landfilling automatically accelerates land subsidence. That’s for sure,” said Heri Andreas.

The Pantura coast, which stretches from Banten to Probolinggo, is an alluvial sediment deposit area with an average soft soil structure and is widely used for ponds.

Naturally, soft soil experiences compaction or subsidence of 1-2 centimeters every year.

On the other hand, an area of 18,882 hectares in Pantura has been designated as an industrial area labeled KEK and PSN, including in Indramayu, Batang, Kendal and Gresik.

Currently, there are at least 196 factories built on the land, and the total area of land and the number of factories is predicted to continue to increase.

Industrial infrastructure built on the soft soil structure of Pantura, said Andreas, accelerates the rate of land subsidence.

He estimates that the burden of infrastructure causes the land surface to subside by 2 cm every year.

The simple formula for land subsidence in Pantura, explained Andreas, is natural compaction (2 cm) plus infrastructure load (2 cm).

The combination of these factors contributes to a minimum land subsidence of 4 cm per year, but industrial exploitation makes the actual subsidence much higher, triggering increasingly intense and damaging coastal flooding.

If the land subsidence is more than 4 cm, it means that there has been exploitation of groundwater, even natural gas, as is happening on the north coast of West Java.

What happened in Eretan Wetan, Indramayu, shows that coastal flooding as high as 1 meter occurs because land subsidence is more than 10 centimeters.

According to geodesy expert Heri Andreas, land subsidence in Indramayu is definitely because industry is exploiting groundwater.

However, on the north coast of West Java, the situation is exacerbated by a combination of groundwater exploitation and oil and gas exploitation.

“If Pantura Jabar has a combination of groundwater exploitation and oil and gas exploitation, the impact is on Eretan Wetan,” said Andreas.

Andreas said that the exploitation of land and natural gas can trigger land subsidence of up to 20 cm per year, far beyond the 4 cm threshold that indicates exploitation.

Meanwhile, natural factors such as tectonic subsidence (tectonic earthquake) only contribute to subsidence in millimeters.

In addition to inundation, industrial areas also exacerbate abrasion, because they damage and eliminate mangrove ecosystems that become coastal protected areas from abrasion.

The phenomenon of abrasion in Pantura usually occurs in May, June and July. At that time, there is a westerly wind and causes high waves, as told by Turmudzi in Kendal and Fadil in Gresik.

Climate Central, an agency that creates coastal flooding scenarios around the world, predicts that a number of areas on the Pantura coast will sink by 2030, and will get worse by 2100.

However, the massive industrialization is making the land sink further. If left unchecked, the damage to Pantura will get worse. And it could sink faster than Climate Central predicts.

“Yes, it could [be faster]. It’s getting worse, definitely. Many will sink, definitely,” said Andreas, firmly.

Similarly, the secretary general of the People’s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA), Susan Herawati, views the development pattern carried out by the government as creating a climate crisis in Pantura.

Susan sees that the climate emergency in Pantura is not only in Indramayu, Batang, Kendal, and Gresik, but almost along the entire Pantura coast.

Many areas are sinking because of industrial projects, such as Semarang and Demak.

She predicts that in 2030, many areas in Pantura will sink.

Right now, flooding has entered