Reaching scale for coastal resilience

The initiative “Building with Nature Indonesia” aims to build stable coastlines with reduced erosion risk through a unique integration of mangrove restoration, small scale hard-engineering and sustainable land use. In doing so we enhance coastal security for 70.000 vulnerable people by avoiding further coastal flooding and erosion in Central Java and provide them with a long term perspective for sustainable economic development.

Building with Nature approach

Building with Nature is a comprehensive engineering approach that seeks to enhance the use of natural ecological processes to achieve efficient and sustainable hydraulic infrastructural designs. It strives for a flexible integration of land in water and water in land using interactions and materials present in nature. EcoShape members, including Wetlands International develop Building with Nature pilots, and share their concepts, knowledge and guidelines widely to stimulate replication and upscaling.

Building with Nature is now being used in the Netherlands on a large scale for managing its extensive coastal and river works. Wetlands International managed the first large-scale international pilot project in Demak in Indonesia.

Baseline situation Demak region, Central Java

30 Million people suffer from coastal flooding and erosion hazards in Northern Java, affecting 3000 villages. The five-year programme (2015-2020) focuses on the shoreline in Demak where sea level rise is projected to cause flooding 6km inland by 2100, inundating 14,700 hectares affecting over 70,000 people and the loss of 6000 hectares of aquaculture ponds.

The problems largely result from the removal of mangrove belts for aquaculture development, unsustainable coastal infrastructure, and groundwater extraction. In some places more than 3 km of land have already been taken by the sea and entire villages have been swallowed. Many people experience a major loss in income, reaching up to 60-80% in some villages. Also the agri- and aquaculture sectors, key economic engines in Indonesia, suffer multi-billion losses.

Business as Usual Scenario

The Business as Usual scenario in 2030 shows a fully flooded area with evacuated villages and land loss due to unsustainable groundwater extraction, mangrove loss and expected sea level rise, affecting over 70,000 people and 6000 hectares of aquaculture ponds. In the long run 30 million people may be affected by coastal erosion.

Dream Scenario

Our dream is to build a stable restored mangrove coastline that reduces erosion, can adapt to sea level rise and enables inclusive economic growth, so that communities in Demak are safe and can prosper. We do this through an inspiring Building with Nature pilot in which we trigger a paradigm shift towards water infrastructure solutions that align the interest of economic development with care for the environment.