This study explores urbanization and flood events in the northern coast of Central Java with river basin as its unit of analysis. Two types of analysis were applied (i.e., spatial data and non-spatial data analysis) at four river basin areas in Central Java—Indonesia. The spatial analysis is focused on the assessment of LULC change in 2009–2018 based on Landsat Imagery. The non-spatial data (i.e., rural-urban classification and flood events) were overlaid with results of spatial data analyses. Our findings show that urbanization, as indicated by the growth rate of built-up areas, is very significant. Notable exposure to flood has taken place in the urban and potentially urban areas. The emerging discussion indicates that river basins possess dual spatial identity in the urban system (policy- and land-use-related). Proper land use planning and control is an essential instrument to safeguard urban areas (such as the case study area) and the entire island of Java in Indonesia. More attention should be put upon the river basin areas in designing eco-based approach to tackle the urban flood crises. In this case, the role of governance in flood management is crucial.

Purpose This study aims to prove that land-use change plays a role in the occurrence of hydro-meteorological disasters in Central Java, especially in relation to its upstream and downstream. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents empirical findings from quantitative research using a spatial analysis and descriptive analysis. Findings The upstream and downstream area of Central Java is categorized as a rapid development area that results in changes in land use and land cover. The findings showed that there was an increasing number of hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and landslides as the impact of land-use change and rainfall conditions. Research limitations/implications Analysis of the relationship between rainfall and disaster events with more technical and specific analysis could be done in the further research. Originality/value In this study, more analysis in the context of river basin systems including upstream and downstream in different periods to examine the linkage between them have been considered and incorporated.

No abstract

Climate change has pushed communities to make continued adjustments in various aspects of their life in order to adapt and survive. Adaptive capacity is a key concept in understanding this context. Although a number of researches in the discipline of social sciences have examined the meanings and categories of adaptation capacity, the extent to which this knowledge is used in the field of physical geography has not been adequately studied. Most studies on adaptive capacities within this discipline are focused largely on measuring the level or status of adaptation capacity (i.e. high, medium, or low) in a given region. Moreover, these studies have typically interpreted adaptation capacity as rigid and static. Thus, it sets the same index for all adaptive capacity categories. Sometimes it provides a varied index, but it does not give adequate consideration to the actual condition influencing adaptation capacity (i.e. the characteristic of adaptation goals, actors, resources, and etc.). With a case study approach focused in Tanjungmas Sub-district, this study aims to build a conceptual model which connects overall adaptive capacity categories using qualitative methods. We interviewed 18 key persons including sub-district officers, community leaders, women associations, and other local organisation members. This model may help researchers in the area of physical geography to conceptualize adaptation capacities and to establish an index that more accurately reflects local conditions following additional brief field assessments.

The upstream-downstream area of the north coast of Central Java is categorized as a rapid development area that results in changes in land use and land cover. This region is also prone to floods, landslides, and drought. Land-use change contributes to climate change, increasing disasters such as sea-level rise, erosion, rising surface temperatures, floods, landslides, and droughts. Moreover, hydrometeorological disasters caused by human activity damages the river basin ecosystems, especially land use and land cover changes. This study aims to prove that land-use difference does matter for hydrometeorological disasters in the North Coast River Basin of Central Java in terms of the upstream and downstream areas using a quantitative method and GIS. The river basins are Jratunseluna, Bodri Kuto, Pemali Comal, and Wiso Gelis. The results indicate that from 2009 to 2018, the midstream and upstream river basins areas show the highest land use change compared to downstream. This study also finds that forests reduced significantly in the Central Java river basin, one of the disaster drivers. Above all, through this research, hydrometeorological disaster mitigation efforts in the north coast river basin in Central Java can be appropriately identified.