Abstract
The impact of global climate change on coastal communities in Java Island (Indonesia) is a growing concern as rising sea levels continue to cause significant damage to the everyday life of these communities. Hundred acres of rice fields and fish farms, essential sources of livelihood for many, have been flooded in the past two years, resulting in sudden poverty. Social and community psychologists suggested that collective threats require community’s collective strategy and resilience to cope with. Our case study is driven by the following question, to what extent does culture play a role in the coastal community’s collective strategy and resilience in dealing with the rising sea level? To answer this question, we conducted case-based research guided by the framework advocated by Radley and Chamberlain (2001, 2012) in two most affected districts in the Island. We organized a series of in-depth interviews and FGDs, involving a total of 39 participants consisting of 17 community leaders, two local council members, and 20 farmers and fishers to explore how they responded to the disaster collectively, and to what extend culture enhance (otherwise limit) their collective capability to cope with the negative impacts of rising sea levels. In our presentation, we’ll discuss the theoretical and policy-related implications of our findings.  

Keywords: climate threats, collective resilience, coastal communities

Correspondence:
Moh Abdul Hakim. Email: m.a.hakim@staff.uns.ac.id