BIREUEN – Six months after devastating floods struck the coastal region of Jangka Subdistrict in Bireuen Regency, communities across the area continue to endure the prolonged consequences of the disaster. Critical infrastructure remains severely damaged, while the daily lives of local residents grow increasingly fragile amid the absence of permanent recovery measures.
Four collapsed road sections in the villages of Pante Paku, Meunasah Dua, Pante Ranub, and Jangka Alue U have now transformed into open estuaries after being swept away by floods several months ago. Since then, seawater tides have flowed freely in and out of shrimp farming areas and residential settlements, with no permanent barriers in place to contain the intrusion.
The damage has reportedly destroyed approximately 400 hectares of community-owned shrimp ponds, crippling one of the region’s primary economic sectors. Continuous saltwater inundation has rendered the ponds unusable, leaving many families unable to continue aquaculture activities that once sustained their livelihoods for years.
Beyond the collapse of the shrimp farming industry, small shops and local businesses have also been repeatedly submerged by tidal flooding. Economic activity throughout the coastal communities has steadily weakened, placing growing financial pressure on households that depend heavily on aquaculture and small-scale trade.
Local residents explained that before the roads were destroyed, the pond areas remained naturally protected from strong tidal currents and seawater intrusion. However, once the roads collapsed and turned into open waterways, seawater began entering the area unchecked, damaging large stretches of productive land belonging to the community.
The worsening conditions have sparked deep concern among affected families. In addition to losing their primary source of income, many households are now struggling to meet their most basic daily needs as earnings continue to decline following the destruction of the ponds.
Communities from the affected villages are urging the Government of Bireuen Regency, the Government of Aceh, and the central government to immediately implement emergency response measures and long-term reconstruction efforts, including road rehabilitation, coastal embankment construction, and restoration of the damaged areas.
“We only want these ponds to live again. These ponds are how people feed their families and send their children to school,” one resident said quietly, reflecting the growing despair felt across the coastal communities.
Residents are now calling on authorities to conduct an immediate on-site assessment before the destruction spreads further. Many fear that if no urgent action is taken, the crisis will not only erase shrimp ponds, but also destroy the remaining hopes and livelihoods of hundreds of coastal families who have depended on the sea for generations in Jangka.
