Drinking or sinking: The government-residents gap in drinking water adaptation strategies in coastal areas affected by land subsidence

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2022-08-28

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en

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This research examines the gap between governmental strategies and residential practices regarding adaptation for drinking water in the coastal urban community of Tambak Lorok, Semarang, Indonesia. The coastal community Tambak Lorok is dealing with increasing land subsidence, seawater intrusion and floodings. Rising seawater intrusion and floods are caused by climate change. The increasing land subsidence is partly the result of a failing public water supply that should serve all inhabitants. This lack of access led small businesses to extract groundwater for water supply, causing concerning land subsidence. The people living in coastal areas are dependent on the groundwater, but they are also the biggest victims of land subsidence, their houses are sinking 8-15 cm per year. The land subsidence and use of groundwater in this area are problematic. The situation asks for adaptation but there seems to be a certain gap between government and residents, limiting the possibility to adapt. Based on literature review, observations and in-depth interviews with experts and residents this gap has been researched in this thesis. This research is bringing a new point of view, regarding residents’ experiences and practices towards the strategies of the government. The results show that there are several factors causing a gap between government and residents. First, their priorities differ. Second, residents’ informality and their desire for flexibility creates a gap. There is also a lack of education and participation within the governmental strategies. Lastly, the contrasting mindset and preconceived notions from both sides limits the opportunity for adaptation.

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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen