Livelihood Changes of Fisherman Community Driven by Climate Change: A Case Study in Semarang Coastal Region, Central Java, Indonesia

Purpose of Study: Climate change has triggered sea level rise so as to increase the height of tidal inundation (rob)in coastal areas. Fishermen face the highest risk since their livelihoods and settlement are directly adjacent to the sea in compared with other communities. This paper describes how fishermen living in the flood-prone areas can survive from the flood triggered by climate change. The house renovation certainly requires a lot of funds thus encouraging the fishermen to seek alternative sources to obtain higher income. Most of the fishermen in coastal Semarang change their livelihood from fishing to cultivating green mussels. They utilize the coastal areas inundated by the tidal flood to cultivate green mussels. Methodology: The approach used in this study was qualitative with the case study method. Sample cases were selected using snowball sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with informants. Results: The results showed that fishermen living on the coast of Semarang have to face tidal floods with an increasingly high inundation by an average of 1 m/10 years. The increasing height of tidal flood from year to year has forced the fishermen to renovate their houses raising the building approximately every 10 years. The renovation certainly requires a lot of funds thus encouraging the fishermen to seek alternative sources to obtain higher income. Most of the fishermen in coastal Semarang change their livelihood from fishing to cultivating green mussel. They utilize the coastal areas inundated by the tidal flood to cultivate green mussels. Implications/Applications: However, green mussel cultivation successfully gains higher income as well as-as more sus- tainable than fishing. Statistically, it is evidenced by the capability of the fishermen in renovating their houses from pre- venting them inundated by the tidal flood.