Spatial exposure and livelihood vulnerability to climate-related disasters in the North Coast of Tegal City, Indonesia

Abstract

Climate-related disasters such as floods and tidal floods impact livelihood systems in coastal areas everywhere, particularly in developing countries, resulting in a certain degree of livelihood vulnerability. In this paper, we examine the spatial exposure and livelihood vulnerability level of Tegal, a city in Central Java, Indonesia. Data were collected from 100 household samples distributed in the study area. Two types of assessment were performed: a spatial assessment with distance analysis and a vulnerability assessment using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI). The results of the study show that 33.80% of the settlement area and 22.25% of the fishery area are vulnerable to tidal floods. Climate-related disasters also threaten 32.20% of the households sampled, whose members work mostly as fishermen and rely on coastal resources for their livelihood. A key finding of the study is that the community is highly vulnerable with a low adaptive capacity level. This calls for more decisive policy interventions to enhance the community's adaptive capacity and reduce its exposure level.