8 Measuring Vulnerability of Coastal Ecosystem and Identifying …
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For example, the level of heat stress in most of the 47 reef locations where bleaching
occurred during 1997–1998 was unmatched in the period 1903–1999 (Lough 2000).
Ocean acidification reduces the biodiversity and rate of coral calcification while at
the same time increasing the dissolution rate of coral skeletons through stimulation
of biological erosion and chemical dissolution. Overall, these changes will balance
the calcium carbonate content of coral reefs which have an impact on the surrounding
organims.
Community Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change
At present, climate change and variability are global challenges. The impact of
climate change will continue to occur and be more prominent in developing countries, especially Southeast Asian countries. It is projected that climate change will
have a significant impact on the livelihoods and living conditions of poor people
in developing countries due to lower adaptive capacity. This condition has implications for threatening many sectors including those related to food security, water
resources, marine resource productivity, sea level rise, desertification, and the spread
of diseases. Climate change is more about changing the hydrological cycle, weather
patterns, rising sea levels, and increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme
weather conditions which all have important impacts on livelihoods and living conditions of poor people in developing countries, especially in rural communities (FAO
2007a, b; Carter 2001). The impact of climate change in coastal areas of Indonesia
occurs during the transition period of the season. Some areas experience delays at
the beginning of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season. Changes at the
beginning of the season are not consistent in all regions of Indonesia. Some regions
even experience an early season change. Current rainfall intensity is also different
from that of the previous years. At present, there is a tendency for a greater difference between the intensity of rain during the rainy season and the intensity of rain
during the dry season, and sometimes the intensity difference is very extreme. Flood,
drought, and landslide incidents are evidence of the phenomenon of climate change
caused by changes in the intensity of rainfall in Indonesia. This incident certainly
has an impact on the development process in the affected area. Another major threat
as a result of the impact of climate change in relation to Indonesia’s geographical
conditions is sea level rise. The threat of rising sea levels and high sea wave incidents can occur throughout the coastal area, especially during the transition season
(BAPPENAS 2011). Climate change continues to have a major impact on coastal
communities. Changes in rainfall patterns and high sea level rise forced fishermen to
face unpredictable weather and high tides. Climate change has also disrupted livelihoods on many islands, as fishermen in Maluku claim that they can no longer predict
the right time and location to catch fish because of changing climate patterns. Of
the 2, 7 million fishermen in Indonesia, around 80% of them are small-scale and
traditional fishermen who are vulnerable to extreme climate variations in the sea
(BAPPENAS 2011).
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