In the Bekasi District of West Java, the shoreline at Muara Gembong has been retreating by up to 200 metres per year for the past two decades. This rapid coastal land loss, driven by mangrove removal, unregulated waste disposal along the Citarum River, and climate change effects such as sea level rise, is inundating communities and jeopardising roads, buildings, and other infrastructure. The CLINcH hub—Coastal Land loss: INdonesia-UK Hub—brings together experts to understand why this is happening, assess the resulting flood risks and vulnerabilities of both infrastructure and local livelihoods, and evaluate the region’s capacity to respond. If successful, the hub will produce improved management plans and investment strategies that help local authorities and communities protect the coastline and restore wetlands. The project also aims to raise community awareness about the importance of coastal ecosystems. Although focused on northern Java, the hub will exchange knowledge and best practices with stakeholders in the UK and other countries facing similar shoreline erosion, making the findings relevant beyond this single estuary.
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The project aims to create the collaborative hub “CLINcH - Coastal Land loss: INdonesia-UK Hub”, bringing together experts focused on enhancing infrastructure and resilience in case of coastal land loss. The hub will concentrate its research on the estuary area of the Citarum River along the Northern Java coastline, specifically in the Bekasi District of West Java Province. This region has witnessed significant land loss, posing severe risks to both communities and coastal ecosystems. Over the past two decades, the shoreline in Muara Gembong has retreated at a rate of up to 200 m/year, leading to coastal inundation and jeopardizing various infrastructure systems. This phenomenon has been intensified by environmental changes, such as mangrove removal, and unregulated activities along the Citarum River, like waste disposal. These factors, coupled with the effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and sea level rise, have exacerbated the situation. CLINCH will focus on: 1. Understanding coastal land loss; 2. Assessing resulting flood risk and vulnerability of infrastructure systems and social economy of local community; 3. Evaluating the capacities/vulnerabilities of the region. 4. Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices between the hub and various stakeholders. The hub will serve as a centre of expertise, aiding in the development of improved management plans and investment strategies. This will not only benefit stakeholders in Indonesia and the UK, but also those in other countries facing similar challenges. The project will improve community awareness about coastal land loss and the importance of wetlands
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