Yogyakarta, March 9, 2026 – Eleven students from the Master of Environmental Science program have successfully conducted a preliminary survey for their 2026 Fieldwork Program (KKL) in Pati Regency, Central Java. The two-day fieldwork survey, from Thursday (March 6) to Friday (March 7), covered four main sub-districts: Pati, Juwana, Wedarijaksa, and Jakenan, as well as the entire coastal area.
(Activity Documentation)
This survey is a crucial follow-up to the initial briefing to solidify readiness for the KKL implementation, scheduled for July 2026. To optimize the observation process, in line with the overarching theme of “Coastal Ecosystem Resilience and Community Adaptation to Environmental Change in Pati Regency”, the eleven students were divided into two main working groups: the Coastal Team and the City Team.
The Coastal Team focused its observations on seawater intrusion, abrasion, carbon stock analysis, vegetation structure, and avifauna. Observations were conducted in a targeted manner at several specific locations, including Kertomulyo Beach, the Mina Mangrove Tourism area in Tunggulsari Village, and Bulumanis Beach. From the initial field review, the Coastal Team identified several important findings, including the predominantly muddy coastal soil characteristics of Pati Regency, the poorly structured mangrove area, challenging coastal accessibility, and the widespread littering of coastal areas.
Meanwhile, the City Team was tasked with assessing flooding, the socioeconomic conditions of the community, and the quality of urban settlements. This team conducted direct visits to flood-affected areas and conducted in-depth interviews with local residents. The interviews revealed that flooding in Pati had inundated the area for up to three months. These extreme conditions pose a high risk of disrupting livelihoods and sources of income, particularly for those living in coastal areas and along the Juwana River basin.
The initial findings from these two teams provide a clear picture of the urgency of environmental issues in Pati Regency, which are highly complex and relevant to the pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in addressing Climate Change (SDG 13), Marine Ecosystems (SDG 14), and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements (SDG 11).
It is hoped that all the data and findings from this two-day preliminary survey will serve as a primary reference and factual basis for developing a more rigorous and comprehensive research design for the 2026 Environmental Science Fieldwork Program (KKL).
Author: Fatchul Ilmi