Stories from Derawan-East Kalimantan, Wakatobi-Sulawesi Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara of local communities facing constraint due to environmental destruction, natural disaster, and climate change. The push and pull between economic gains and sustainable environmental development are difficult to defer. You need to know about their stories.
They need to know what is happening and what to do.
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 EAST KALIMANTAN
 

The Story of Rachmat (21), Tanjung Batu Village, Derawan-Berau
Rahmat is a sailorman from Tanjung Batu, he reports that the season changes in his village has changed since 2005. Extreme weathers of strong wind and storm surges hampered fishermen to go to the sea. In 2008, he experienced drastic changes of climate where in April, the rain was too intense whereas in the following month it was very hot.

Unfortunately there are villagers in Tanjung that practice destructive fishing by using potassium boms. Wet lands have been conversed into ponds for aquaculture. The people depend on wood for energy and this is affecting parts of the forest. Developments in the area have reduced forest areas. 

Marine turtle in his area has decreased due to their capture for trade.  Rachmat shares that in 1999-2001 whales and dugongs can be seen when he is traveling in the ocean but now they are nowhere to see. He knows that fish bombs have also affected the killings of dugongs. However, when asked why whales had disappeared, that no one knows. Those potassium boms have also decreased coral and small pelagic fishes as their homes between the corals are destroyed.

Earthquakes are often experience by the villagers. Rachmat tells that heavy rains with big thunder are very scary. The people of Tanjung Batu village do have adaptive capacity in maintaining the environment in the area. They plant trees to cover the losses of trees after a forest fire. To cope with coastal erosion, the villagers transfer land to the eroded land. 

Nowadays, fish and wood are hard to get. Energy source for cooking are from kerosene. He says that there is no government water supply, so they get clean water from wells. There are programs from the local government to support fisheries but more help is need because help is only received by individuals in certain events such as the “fasting” month. “I know that human are those who are destroying the environment”
 “Government should be more fair in developing their programs in order to enhance the adaptive  capacity of the people”

The Story of Hardiansyah G. (42), Tanjung Batu Village, Derawan-Berau
After traveling from Tanjung Redep by land, we will arrive at Tanjung Batu village in the district of Berau, East Kalimantan . One of the villagers is Mr. Hardiansyah. He tells that in Tanjung Batu is now colder at night and the waves are bigger. The people of Batu village knows two seasons, that is the Southern Season from the month of June to September and the Northern Season from October to May but now it is hard to predict. He complains that in the hot season, it is hard to get clean water and the warm sea temperature makes the fishes go away. In this season, another problem faced is that there is salt water intrusion, making the water from the wells salty.

Forest fire happening in Derawan is caused by illegal logging and moving agriculture. Potassium bombs and pollution have caused losses of wet land and coastal vegetation. The sad part he says that the villagers often faces sewage farming failure due to the pollution. The numbers of sea turtle have decreased significantly, so are coral fishes and small pelagic fishes due to poaching. These changes have affected the income of the villagers and made worst as kerosene prices have risen. Government aids that the villagers have received were fishing nets.  “I know that all of these disasters are by human. Let’s plants trees to reforest the cut trees”
The Story of Kasmuddin (46), Labuan Kelambu Village, Berau
Rachmat complains that hotter weather have reduced the soil fertility in his area. Moreover, he reports that the villagers can’t rely on indigenous knowledge for weather forecasting nowadays as the patterns have shifted. Usually, the northern season spans from October to May but for the last two years, the patterns have shifted and the rain pours with high intensity with strong winds. Seven houses collapsed by the disaster.  He shares that in 2008, Giring Kampung in the sub district of Biduk by strong waves and debris. His village also experience rising of sea level and coastal erosion.

There are evidence that some invasive species has decreased the number of biodiversity in the mangrove area. Coastal erosion due to the high waves of the northern season also adds to the decrease of mangroves and coastal vegetation. 

Both natural and human factor have caused the decrease number of coral fishes, small and large pelagic fishes. The natural cause is the strong wave breaks hitting the corals and the human factors are caused by bomb fishing and poison fishing. The decrease numbers of turtles are caused by lobster by catch. The villagers make wells for clean water. They get energy from wood made into coal. Local NGOs called JPMB develop programs of mangrove reforestation. “The local government should give our village more attention by means of development programs. “
The Story of Andi Erson (45), Pegatbatumbuk, Berau-Kalimantan
The temperature during the day is hotter and the colder at night with strong winds, making the fishermen afraid to go the sea. This causes the villagers’ income to decrease. It is difficult to predict the season as they shift very often. Sometime we get heavy rain in the dry season. Another anomaly is the dry season is longer that usually. He says that coastal erosion has taken 10 m of land so far.  So, now the water has reached the bottom of the houses. Therefore, the villagers choose to relocate to avoid more losses.
 One of the villagers’ sources of clean water is from the rain. Their source of energy is wood out of mangrove and kerosene. Aid from non-government organization is cooperative to add villager’s income. Fishing tools are also given by the government to aid the people.
The Story Sunarto Arafik (30), Bohebukut Village, Maratua, Berau-Kalimantan
Sunarto reports that the climate is more difficult to predict. Each year there are always seasonal shifts. At one time the dry season is longer then at other times the rainy season becomes longer. Intrusion of salt water to the wells occurs in hot season. In the rainy season, livelihood is more reluctant to fail and income decreases for sure. The source of energy of the villagers comes from wood, kerosene and gas.

There is less forest vegetation compared to 5 years ago.  Much of the deforestation is due to land use change for residential areas. Less large and small pelagic fishes and coral fishes are to see. Sunarto reports that coral bleaching had ever happened. He understands that most of this destruction is driven by human destructive behavior.
The Story Wandi (30), Biduk-biduk Village, Berau-Kalimantan
Wandi feels that the weather currently is hotter that it usually was and this makes his drink more. The weather nowadays is also difficult to predict. When we thought that the waves will be still, it was big. When we thought it was dry season, heavy rain poured. Due to the coastal erosion, the villagers have heightened the pillars of the houses.

Coastal erosion and strong winds have devastated and reduced the number of coastal vegetation. These have reduced catchments ability in mangrove area. The needs of energy, have also add to the constraint in decreasing the sum of mangrove and coastal vegetation. Since 2000, marine turtles have reduced in numbers as there are poach extensively. Fishermen from Bontang, Balikpapan, Taran and Java are using destructive fishing methods by the use of trawl, phukat and potassium bombing. This reduces the number of coral and pelagic fishes and affects the income of the villagers.

EAST NUSA TENGGARA

The Story of Yonas Molebila (46), Woulaatang Village, Alor-East Nusa Tenggara
Yonas a fisherman from Woulaatang village shares that the hot season in the month of July to August has decreased fish catch, as fishes prefer colder water. Although the season pattern in East Nusa Tenggara has not changed, this area has a longer dry season. He also shares that challenges in the wetter season is heavy rainfall with strong wind and some storm surges. He reports that his area also suffer from coastal erosion. Marine animal as small and large pelagic fishes, coral fishes, whales and dugongs have decreased and also the birds. 
 The villagers have lost interest in cultivating rice as the chance of failure is high. The villagers have made a 12 meter well to supply clean water for the villagers. Wood and kerosene are the source of energy.
”The fishermen are able to catch more fishes. However we need help on how to market more fishes”
The Story of Ahmad Mas (22), Babokerong Village, East Nusa Tenggara
Ahmad is a sea weed farmer from Babokerong village. He shares that for the past one year, there has been extreme weathers and seasonal shift. Some times it is hotter in the rainy season and colder in the dry season. This has lead to more malaria outbreak in the hot season and seaweed failure in the rainy season. 

The livelihood of Babokerong villagers are from corn, banana, coconut and also from seaweed. People of this area receive energy from wood, kerosene and also coconut oil. The seasonal calendar does not match anymore, he says. For example, the dry season in 2007 long but was short in 2008. The rainy season has also shifted from the usual October to November period. At the time of high tide, the water in the wells are full but salty on the other hand, in time of low tide, the water in the well are not salty but is low.

“I am aware that the cause of seasonal shift is natural but the decreases of fishes are caused by destructive fishing and pollution from waste” Other experiences from the villagers are heavy rainfall that had devastated their corn crop. Strong winds have knocked down coconut trees and broke the ropes where sea weed are cultivated. Sea weeds also dies when flash flood bring along volcanic sedimentations polluting the surrounding area.
 
Coastal erosion has taken a lot of the villagers land. Now , inundation by the rising sea level can reach villagers residential area. As effort to adapt, the villagers have made river banks to reduce the erosion and the government also helps for this. The use of potassium bombs has decreased the number of small and large pelagic fishes, marine turtles, dugongs and also coral fishes. The side effect is that incomes by the fishermen have decreased significantly.

 
SOUTH EAST SULAWESI

The Story of Harlina (27), Kasuari Village, South Kaledupa-Sulawesi 
As Harlina recall, each season changes every six month but nowadays the dry season is longer that usual. Heavy rainfalls in 2007 have destroyed cultivated plants such as onions as they rot due to wet conditions. Those who live near the coast have suffered as their land is inundated and eroded by the raising sea level. The numbers of coral fishes decreases due to the squid catcher that digs the corals.
“The villagers are frustrated and reluctant to seek out for income from agriculture and fisheries as the chances of failure is high”
The Story of Fuadi (34), Matigola-Sulawesi
It is now more uncertain if the crop that we plant will succeed as heavy rain and strong wind destroy our cultivation. In the situation of storm surges, we can’t go to the sea. Sea level rise has inundated villagers but coastal erosion is also happening. Salt water intrusion makes it difficult to get clean water and the government is also giving aid for this
The Story of Abuha (55), Matigola-Sulawesi
Abuha report hotter weather and in the rainy season is longer with frequent rain and strong winds, The villagers adapt to the rising sea level by making sea walls with rocks in the coast line. Coastal erosion have reduce the land.
“I don’t know what is happening, but our income has become smaller”