UNDIP, Semarang (19/5) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) together with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Griffith University, Australia, have launched a book entitled “Climate Change, Labor and Migration: Impacts on Women and Children.” This book is the output of a research collaboration entitled “Compelled Labor and Climate Change: Keeping a Focus on Women and Children” between the three institutions funded by a KONEKSI research grant from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The book launch was held on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 at the Urban Knowledge Hub, Nyi Ageng Serang Building, South Jakarta, DKI Jakarta Province.
This book documents various studies on climate change, employment, and migration, along with their impacts, in several areas along the North Coast of Java, namely Jakarta, Semarang, Pekalongan, and Demak. Specifically, the book examines the social impacts experienced by women and children as vulnerable groups. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the collection of articles presents diverse perspectives on how these issues emerge, interact, and ultimately impact coastal communities.
The book launch was attended by various stakeholders, from ministries, local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to academics from various universities such as the Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Esa Unggul, Universitas Krisnadwipayana, Universitas Trisakti, and Institut Teknologi Indonesia. This activity also included a panel discussion featuring Franky Zamzani (Ministry of Environment), Dr. Mas Achmad Santosa (Indonesian Ocean Justice Initiative – IOJI), Widi Laras Sari (Center for the Study and Advocacy of Child Protection and Quality of Life – PUSKAPA Universitas Indonesia), Andhika Ajie (Regional Development Planning Agency – BAPPEDA DKI Jakarta).
This panel discussion examined various policy responses that have been implemented to address the complex issues of climate change, particularly in coastal areas of Jakarta, with panelists representing the Jakarta Development Planning Agency (Bappeda). The panelists highlighted how the impacts of climate change, such as flooding and land subsidence, remain challenges faced by Jakarta residents, particularly women and children. This serves as a valuable platform for knowledge exchange to articulate the needs of women and children living along Java’s coast who continue to face these issues.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wiwandari Handayani, a lecturer from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro (DPWK FT UNDIP), and one of the authors of the book, also moderated the panel discussion at the book launch. She emphasized how collaboration across disciplines is crucial to supporting the realization of solutions for the complex problems happening in the North Coast of Java.
“The impacts of climate change and development, such as flooding, tidal flooding, and land subsidence, continue to pose serious challenges for coastal communities, especially women and children. Therefore, cross-disciplinary collaboration is crucial to produce comprehensive, inclusive, and applicable policy recommendations to create climate-resilient cities,” said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wiwandari Handayani.
Through this book launch, the research team emphasized the importance of policies that prioritize the protection of women and children as a key component of climate change adaptation. It is hoped that this book can serve as a reference to enrich perspectives and policy recommendations for policymakers to collaborate in realizing comprehensive and concrete solutions to address these challenges. This effort also supports sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Healthy and Well-Being Lives), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequality), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements), and SDG 13 (Addressing Climate Change). This activity is expected to be the first step in strengthening research-based policies and encouraging cross-sector collaboration in addressing climate change for climate-resilient development. (Public Communication/FT – PWK/ed. Nurul)