The Role of Social Practices on the Climate Resilience of Fishing Communities in Semarang Coastal Area

Abstract

Climate change will have different impacts on individuals and communities, and showed strongest on the coastal communities. Fishing community would suffered the most since they inhabited areas with higher exposure to climate risks, and they have fewer resources to adapt to the changing conditions or recovering from sea-level rise and extreme weather events. This study had the objective to identify social practices within the fishing communities on the coast of Semarang and analysed their roles on the community's climate change resilience. Data collection was carried out using participatory observations and in-depth interviews, supported by literature studies. Data were analysed qualitatively. The results indicated that the social practices found among the fishing community on the coast of Semarang comprised of 3 concepts, namely Habitus, Capital, and Field. The study have found that these social practices played significant roles in strengthening the community's resilience to climate change. The fishing communities were able to survive in the Field affected by the climate change-triggered rising sea level, because they have proper Habitus and Capital for the Field. However, in the context of climate change threat, the community's resilience was limited. Hence, under a very extreme climate scenario, the social practice-based resilience has some thresholds that if continuously suppressed, could become fragile.