Coping Strategies to Address Water Scarcity through Local Knowledge in Tidal Flood and Erosion-Prone Areas: A Case Study of Timbulsloko, Sayung Regency, Demak Municipality

Abstract

Access to clean water in Indonesian households remains relatively low due to insufficient clean water facilities and infrastructure. This research addresses the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of providing clean water, sanitation, and a clean environment (abbreviated as WASH) in sinkingcoastal areas vulnerable to tidal floods and erosion. PDAM and PAMSIMAS services struggle to function effectively in these regions. Despite government programs aimed at providing drinking water to impoverished communities, PDAM services often remain inaccessible to residents in subsiding coastal areas afflicted by floods, tides, and erosion. The residents of Hamlet Timbulsloko face a critical challenge in securing clean water and maintaining proper sanitation, exacerbated by submerged wellscaused by erosion. In their quest to meet this basic need, residents have adopted various coping strategies, including rainwater collection using buckets, basins, and even repurposed containers. Rainwater harvesting has become a community-driven solution to the unmet need for clean water, particularly when the cost of refill water is prohibitively high within the region. This research takes inspiration from the local knowledge and practices of residents and seeks to provide a rainwater harvesting model as a sustainable clean water solution