BIREUEN, ACEH — The coastal region of Pante Paku Beach in Jangka District, Bireuen Regency, Aceh, is facing an increasingly critical environmental and humanitarian situation following devastating floods, mudslides, and landslides that struck the area approximately six months ago, leaving widespread destruction across coastal communities and aquaculture zones.
Recent conditions in the area reveal that the coastline has now split into two estuary channels, significantly altering the natural coastal structure and accelerating severe coastal erosion. The disaster has caused extensive damage to shrimp ponds, embankments, and surrounding coastal ecosystems, threatening the primary source of livelihood for many local residents.
According to local residents, large sections of shrimp farming areas have been inundated by mud and sediment carried by floodwaters, while embankments protecting community ponds have collapsed under continuous pressure from seawater intrusion and tidal surges.
“The destruction continues to worsen. Community shrimp ponds have been devastated, embankments destroyed, and until today there has been no significant intervention,” said a resident of Jangka District.
The situation has become increasingly alarming during high tide periods, as seawater now flows freely into aquaculture areas through the newly formed estuary channels created after the disaster. Residents fear that the uncontrolled intrusion of seawater will further damage shrimp ponds, destroy coastal vegetation, and permanently disrupt the fragile environmental balance of the surrounding coastal zone.
Reports from local media and field observations indicate that coastal abrasion across several villages in Jangka District has continued to expand in recent months, damaging fisheries infrastructure, tourism facilities, and community-owned ponds. Authorities and local leaders have also acknowledged the worsening condition of the coastline and the urgent need for mitigation measures.
The Chairman of Relawan Peduli Rakyat Lintas Batas has called upon the Central Government of Indonesia, the Aceh Provincial Government, and all relevant national authorities to immediately conduct a comprehensive field assessment and initiate emergency coastal protection measures, including estuary normalisation, seawall reinforcement, and sustainable coastal rehabilitation programmes.
He emphasised that the crisis in Pante Paku should no longer be viewed merely as a local environmental issue, but as a serious threat to regional economic resilience, food security, and the long-term sustainability of coastal communities in Aceh.
“This coastal region has long served as one of the vital economic lifelines for fisheries and shrimp aquaculture communities in Bireuen Regency. Delayed intervention will only increase the risk of irreversible environmental and economic losses,” he stated.
Residents of Jangka District are now urgently appealing for immediate and concrete government action to prevent further destruction, protect coastal settlements, and safeguard the future livelihoods of thousands of people who continue to depend on the coastal ecosystem for survival.
The ongoing environmental degradation in Pante Paku also reflects the broader vulnerability of coastal regions in Aceh to extreme weather events and climate-related disasters, highlighting the importance of sustainable coastal management and long-term infrastructure resilience across Indonesia’s vulnerable shoreline regions.
