When the Indonesian province of Aceh was devastated by the tsunami that followed the gigantic earthquake of 26 December 2004, one of the hardest hit regions was Pulo Aceh. Survivors recall how the huge waves of the Indian Ocean swept away everything in their path. The disaster claimed the lives of 70 per cent of the island group’s population – leaving just 1,400 survivors.

Twenty years on, Pulo Aceh is once again displaying its natural beauty. These tiny islands in the far west of Indonesia are now as lush and vibrant as ever – with unspoiled beaches home to unique fauna, sea turtles gliding through the waters and the hillsides below the historic lighthouse awash with the distinctive purplish hues of the native bak rubek flower.

The local population has been working with the government to rebuild the devastated islands. But now they are confronted with new challenges. A particular problem facing Pulo Aceh is the increasing impact of climate change. For generations, the ocean has provided the islanders with a livelihood. Today, those involved in the fishing industry have to contend with fickle weather and declining catches. ‘The waters have become unpredictable,’ says 28-year-old Muhajirin, who works in a local cooperative. ‘Due to rising sea temperatures, the fishing grounds now lie further offshore and the coral reefs – which provide a natural habitat for fish – are becoming bleached.’

Like Pulo Aceh, the entire Indonesian archipelago is especially vulnerable to rising sea levels, extreme rainfall and flooding. According to the World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR), around 70 per cent of natural disasters in Indonesia can be linked to climate change. With a population of around 283 million, the South-East Asian country is among those most impacted by climate risk.

A pilot project for climate resilience

Adapting to climate change is a top priority. This is crucial to protect Indonesia’s population, its ecosystems and economy. International partners are collaborating with local initiatives to find innovative solutions. In Pulo Aceh, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is working with local partners to promote an initiative for a blue economy. The aim of a blue economy is to strengthen the economic basis of people living in coastal regions and at the same time preserve the health of this endangered ecosystem. The pilot project in Pulo Aceh involves local coastal communities and makes use of artificial intelligence (AI).

‘We’re getting the government, the scientific community and local people around the table to try out various approaches. This enables us to jointly develop customised AI solutions for Indonesia’s coastal regions,’ says Karlina Octaviany, AI expert at GIZ’s FAIR Forward – Artificial Intelligence for All programme. The approach requires the collection of data at all levels.

The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics contributes climate data at macro level – that is to say, data that relates to the country as a whole. But much of the data required for climate adaptation has to be collected at the micro level – locally and at as many sites within the archipelago as possible. This is the only way to create a sufficiently dense data network. Custom-built buoys are being used in Pulo Aceh to trial a low-cost approach.