Why does a village Timbulsloko in Indonesia adjust to living on sinking land?

On her way to work, Sumaira. It’s no longer the 70-year-old’s day to stroll here. It will now take her thirty minutes to reach there by boat paddle. A vast rice field once covered this area.

It has since vanished, and fish ponds have been built. The water’s depth has increased from knee to breast. I’m at a loss on what to do. To survive and to eat, I do this. Nevertheless, my income is insufficient.

Today, the entire village is in danger due to rising sea levels. Nearly all houses are submerged by the water during high tide. Houses can no longer be raised higher than they were after residents were compelled to do so three times since 2010.

Where the major road once stood, I’m standing on now. Locals now have to walk down wooden boardwalks, which are dangerous for young children, to travel around the village instead of driving their motorcycles through.

For those same students, getting to class these days requires taking a boat. We’ve replaced the school bus a long time ago. Only about 400 people live in Timbulsloko anymore; more than 80 have made the decision to move. Individuals in this neighborhood often conduct business in public because not every home has a functional restroom.

And because the house is all…, there’s nowhere to take a shower. Lack of appropriate facilities leads to haphazard deficiency as well. No place to take a shower exists. For a large number of people living along Indonesia’s shore, this is what climate change actually looks like.

The villagers of Timbulsloko claim they are committed to staying, but they do not have a clear strategy for rescuing their community. By 2030, it’s expected that the whole coastal region will be fully buried.