Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, Indonesia
Land subsidence significantly threatens vulnerable coastal environments. This study aims to explore how Semarang’s government, local communities, and researchers address land subsidence and its role in exacerbating flood risk, against the backdrop of ongoing efforts within flood risk governance. Emp...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Urban Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/7/266 |
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| author | Syarifah Aini Dalimunthe Budi Heru Santosa Gusti Ayu Ketut Surtiari Abdul Fikri Angga Reksa Ruki Ardiyanto Sepanie Putiamini Agustan Agustan Takeo Ito Rachmadhi Purwana |
| author_facet | Syarifah Aini Dalimunthe Budi Heru Santosa Gusti Ayu Ketut Surtiari Abdul Fikri Angga Reksa Ruki Ardiyanto Sepanie Putiamini Agustan Agustan Takeo Ito Rachmadhi Purwana |
| author_sort | Syarifah Aini Dalimunthe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Land subsidence significantly threatens vulnerable coastal environments. This study aims to explore how Semarang’s government, local communities, and researchers address land subsidence and its role in exacerbating flood risk, against the backdrop of ongoing efforts within flood risk governance. Employing an integrated mixed-methods approach, the research combined quantitative geospatial analysis (InSAR and land cover change detection) with qualitative socio-political and governance analysis (interviews, FGDs, field observations). Findings show high subsidence rates in Semarang. Line of sight displacement measurements revealed a continuous downward trend from late 2014 to mid-2023, with rates varying from −8.8 to −10.1 cm/year in Karangroto and Sembungharjo. Built-up areas concurrently expanded from 21,512 hectares in 2017 to 23,755 hectares in 2023, largely displacing cropland and tree cover. Groundwater extraction was identified as the dominant driver, alongside urbanization and geological factors. A critical disconnect emerged: community views focused on flooding, often overlooking subsidence’s fundamental role as an exacerbating factor. The study concluded that multi-level collaboration, improved risk communication, and sustainable land management are critical for enhancing urban coastal resilience against dual threats of subsidence and flooding. These insights offer guidance for similar rapidly developing coastal cities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b052904db37c43a88e6d07228e7266d9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2413-8851 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Urban Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-b052904db37c43a88e6d07228e7266d92025-08-20T03:56:46ZengMDPI AGUrban Science2413-88512025-07-019726610.3390/urbansci9070266Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, IndonesiaSyarifah Aini Dalimunthe0Budi Heru Santosa1Gusti Ayu Ketut Surtiari2Abdul Fikri Angga Reksa3Ruki Ardiyanto4Sepanie Putiamini5Agustan Agustan6Takeo Ito7Rachmadhi Purwana8Research Center for Population, The National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta 12710, IndonesiaResearch Center for Limnology and Water Resources, The National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor 16911, IndonesiaResearch Center for Population, The National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta 12710, IndonesiaResearch Center for Area Studies, The National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta 12710, IndonesiaResearch Center for Minning Technology, The National Research and Innovation Agency, South Tangerang 15314, IndonesiaDirectorate of Development Policy Environmental Maritime Affairs, Natural Resources and Nuclear Energy, The National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta 10340, IndonesiaResearch Center for Area Studies, The National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta 12710, IndonesiaGraduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, JapanSchool of Environmental Science, University of Indonesia, Jakarta 16424, IndonesiaLand subsidence significantly threatens vulnerable coastal environments. This study aims to explore how Semarang’s government, local communities, and researchers address land subsidence and its role in exacerbating flood risk, against the backdrop of ongoing efforts within flood risk governance. Employing an integrated mixed-methods approach, the research combined quantitative geospatial analysis (InSAR and land cover change detection) with qualitative socio-political and governance analysis (interviews, FGDs, field observations). Findings show high subsidence rates in Semarang. Line of sight displacement measurements revealed a continuous downward trend from late 2014 to mid-2023, with rates varying from −8.8 to −10.1 cm/year in Karangroto and Sembungharjo. Built-up areas concurrently expanded from 21,512 hectares in 2017 to 23,755 hectares in 2023, largely displacing cropland and tree cover. Groundwater extraction was identified as the dominant driver, alongside urbanization and geological factors. A critical disconnect emerged: community views focused on flooding, often overlooking subsidence’s fundamental role as an exacerbating factor. The study concluded that multi-level collaboration, improved risk communication, and sustainable land management are critical for enhancing urban coastal resilience against dual threats of subsidence and flooding. These insights offer guidance for similar rapidly developing coastal cities.https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/7/266land subsidenceurban resiliencecoastal citiesgovernanceflood risk |
| spellingShingle | Syarifah Aini Dalimunthe Budi Heru Santosa Gusti Ayu Ketut Surtiari Abdul Fikri Angga Reksa Ruki Ardiyanto Sepanie Putiamini Agustan Agustan Takeo Ito Rachmadhi Purwana Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, Indonesia Urban Science land subsidence urban resilience coastal cities governance flood risk |
| title | Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, Indonesia |
| title_full | Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, Indonesia |
| title_fullStr | Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, Indonesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, Indonesia |
| title_short | Subsiding Cities: A Case Study of Governance and Environmental Drivers in Semarang, Indonesia |
| title_sort | subsiding cities a case study of governance and environmental drivers in semarang indonesia |
| topic | land subsidence urban resilience coastal cities governance flood risk |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/9/7/266 |
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