Social impacts of oil spills towards the people living in coastal areas

Abstract

Soil and water contamination due to oil spills have caused a decline in soil and water quality and has undermined the welfare and health of people. The oil spills have affected the environment and ecosystem-based services, increasing the level of poverty and physical, mental, and occupational mobility of the people. One of the effects experienced by the people is the loss of livelihood, thus requiring them to change occupations, and some even become unemployed. The lack of support for livelihood and unemployment is identified as a long-term effect on the community. This research aims to analyze the social impacts caused by the oil spills on the research site. Moreover, the method used in this research is quantitative and qualitative. This research aims to prove that there is a change of livelihood resulting from the oil spills. What fishermen do as their occupation when not sailing is, among others, becoming freelancers, merchants, and even becoming unemployed. Those were done to generate additional income as the fishermen could not sail. However, the income received from such occupations is insufficient or lower than fishing in the sea.