PACITAN, EAST JAVA — Pacitan Regency is famous for its exotic coastal nuances. Many tourist locations are located in the southern regency of East Java. One of them is Soge Beach and Teban Beach. Soge Beach is located in Sidomulyo Village, Ngadirejo District, and Teban Beach in Hadiwarno Village, Ngadirojo District. Many people refer to these two locations as hidden gems of tourist destinations in Pacitan, East Java.
Although they belong to hidden gems, they also have latent dangers many people don’t know about it. So, what were initially hidden gems became hidden threats. Especially in Soge Beach itself, it turns out that it is prone to abrasion. This is because the coastline is directly adjacent to the power of the southern sea waves.
On the one hand, the river that empties into Soge Beach flows from the north and is directly adjacent to the mainland pond sand. The river’s estuary and seawater squeeze the sand of the pond. The displacement of river estuaries, which often change the shape of the land, is more dominantly influenced by the strength of the tidal wave of seawater and does not come from the overflow of the Soge River.
Thus the strength of the tidal wave caused the coastal land around the estuary to shift so that its location could not be ascertained. As a result of this shift and abrasion, eventually led to damaged and fallen plants along the coast. Starting from the eroding of water coming from the lake and the onslaught from the seawater.
In addition, on Soge Beach there is still a lack of vegetation that protects the danger from the tsunami. For example, mangrove trees and other types of hard trees. It was considered that Pacitan is an area with the potential for a large earthquake threat, resulting in a tsunami south of Java.
Unlike Soge Beach, Teban Beach also has its own hidden threats. The mangrove forest on Teban Beach has been damaged due to irresponsible parties. The indication is to make the mangrove plants’ leaves as livestock feed. This damages the ecosystem around mangrove plants, proving no more marine life such as mangrove crabs are in the vicinity.
On the one hand, some residents are only enthusiastic when coordinated by village officials. This is because most of the residents who make a living as farmers daily are already busy with their rice fields, so they are not too focused on taking care of them. In addition, some communities still do not have an established structure and capacity in dealing with disaster preparedness, one of which is the lack of supporting equipment such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and equipment that supports strengthening the preparedness process.
With the above facts, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) of Dompet Dhuafa has made the Pacitan Regency area, precisely Sidomulyo Village, Ngadirejo District, as a Resilient and Disaster Response Area. Sunday (10/30/2022) is an important momentum. Because DMC Dompet Dhuafa together with INDOFEST 2022, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Pacitan Regency, and the Pandan Wangi Community of Banten Botanical Garden held the planting of 2,050 mangrove trees and other hard trees at Soge Beach and Teban Beach. This activity took place in the framework of the Tree Alms movement for planting mangroves and hard trees simultaneously with the help of local residents.
Agus Sugiyanto as the Head of Sidomulyo Village welcomed the goodwill carried out by friends from INDOFEST 2022, BPBD Pacitan Regency and the Pandan Wangi Community of Banten Botanical Garden. This encourages the motivation of residents and local officials to return to building villages that are resilient to disasters. Become a Resilient and Disaster Response Area.
“We welcome the activities carried out by DMC Dompet Dhuafa. Because after the post-disaster yesterday, it became our motivation to rebuild facilities and infrastructure after being hit by damage yesterday,” he explained.
DMC volunteers are planting donated trees from the Pandan Wangi Community of the Banten Botanical Garden.
Agus added that the community has coordinated with local officials starting from the sub-district and district levels. The result is that through the Department of Public Works, a safety levee creation program has been launched. Thus this can be an effort to overcome the disaster of the tourist destination of Soge Beach.
“Once again, of course, we would like to express our extraordinary gratitude for the response of DMC Dompet Dhuafa who has synergized with us so that this becomes a new spirit. So that the community rebuilds the facilities and infrastructure damaged by the disaster. Hopefully, this will be useful to the community. We would also like to thank our fellow INDOFEST donors. Thank you, hopefully, this cooperation will continue and continue to be improved,” continued Agus.
Agus also stated that most people could already anticipate abrasion disasters. Because according to him, people believe this is a 5 (five) annual cycle. However, despite careful planning, natural disasters are always present beyond expectations. So, assistance from various parties is one of the keys to comprehensive disaster management.
Chairman of the Sidomulyo Village Disaster Risk Reduction Forum (FPRB), Suparli also said the same thing. The community already has an FPRB, but the forum is still fairly new. So the activation of DRR activities is still not well established.
“Previously, I thanked DMC Dompet Dhuafa that we Sidomulyo Village had been given lessons to plant mangroves and it was advantageous and beneficial. Because we are here FPRB we have not been established for a long time and about mangrove planting, we still don’t really understand it,” he explained.
Suparli hopes this activity can continue and increase to a higher and more massive level. He explained that when flooding occurs, the impact erodes the beach or shoreline. However, now the installation of large stones (embankments) for water retention has been carried out which has been initiated by the community.
“Later, we ask for follow-up assistance from DMC Dompet Dhuafa, namely planting trees that are hard in nature for companions or continuing the program from stones that have been installed. So that later it can be accommodated by water and planted mangroves again. Thus, maybe in the future, it can become a tourism place. We would like to thank the donors. Hopefully, what has been donated will be good for us. The second is to be a benefit or to be a barakah charity for donors,” said Suparli.
Bowo Prayogo, the Chairman of Karangtaruna Sidomulyo Village said that the worst abrasion occurred in 2022. By 2022 abrasion will have eliminated tourism lands on the coast. It happened within a week. Within a week, the abrasion disaster had consumed tourism lands. In 2022, the most severe abrasion at Soge Beach depleted tourism land, especially village assets.
“One of the impacts of abrasion is a tourist destination adjacent to the spruce tree. It used to be a children’s tourist attraction. Because the place is delicious, safe, and shady, many children play there. But now it no longer exists,” he concluded.
Also read: Prevent Abrasion by Planting Eleven Thousand Mangrove Trees on the Coast of Central Java
This activity is also an educational facility as a form of awareness to the visitor community, especially the residents of Sidomulyo Village. About the importance of maintaining mangrove ecosystems. In addition, it is also for educating residents about protective plants that function as tsunami breakwaters.
“I would like to thank the friends of DMC Dompet Dhuafa. Alhamdulillah, thank you for your help for participating in accompanying Sidomulyo Village to be able to rise again. And to friends, from INDOFEST, thank you very much for your participation so that there are no more disasters,” Bowo concluded.
Haryo Mojopahit as Chief Executive of DMC Dompet Dhuafa explained, DMC Dompet Dhuafa will make Sidomulyo Village a Resilient and Disaster Response Area. By focusing on earthquake, tsunami, and abrasion disaster mitigation and preparedness programs. So that the planting of mangroves and hard trees is one of the big agendas of the community and DMC Dompet Dhuafa in realizing a Resilient and Disaster Response Indonesia.
Also read: 1000 Mangrove Movement, West Sumatra DDV Efforts to Prevent Abrasion in Padang Pariaman Regency
Soon, the community and DMC Dompet Dhuafa will build a breakwater dam. This is very important because it is an effort to prevent flash floods and maintain the stability and sustainability of ecosystems and biodiversity on the coast.
“We ask for his support and assistance with DMC Dompet Dhuafa’s plan to realize a Resilient and Disaster Response Area in Sidomulyo Village. We hope that this Resilient and Disaster Response Area will be able to help residents carry out their activities as usual without feeling anxious about the threat of disasters that lurk,” he explained. (Dompet Dhuafa / DMC)