Mysteriously the village is sinking into the sea

The erosion caused by the waves, along with the rise of the sea, submerged 300 hectares of land in Bedono, a village on the island of Java, Indonesia.

Livelihood change

Motorboats run slowly along a canal that runs between the mangroves in Bedono village, which is an eco-tourism site on the northern coast of Java Island, Indonesia. From this mangrove forest, the ruins of abandoned houses can be seen and partially submerged.

'The area is now this mangrove forest, which was once a residential area' - introduced tour guide Aryo Rifai.

A house submerged half the sea in Bedono village, Java island, Indonesia.

When driving a motorboat through a strange scene, Mr. Rifai explained that erosion caused by waves began to weaken Bedono in the 1990s, sinking three hamlets: Senik, Tambaksari and Mondoliko. To date, about 300 hectares of land in the village are under water. The coast line was also delayed 5km to the mainland.

More than 500 families were forced to evacuate to safer areas. A strip of fertile agricultural land has been replaced by mangrove forests.

'People here have never dared to think that their prosperity will disappear because of erosion , ' said Rifai, 51, pointing out that a basilic mosque has been submerged in water, the walls. Its walls are dark and boring. Storks, endemic and protected creatures in this forest, parked on tree branches, observe us.

Rifai brought us to an area where there used to be fish farms, public housing estates and settlements. He used to work on one of the family farms, before moving to sailing and tour guides at the time the area was submerged by sea water.

People fish on concrete blocks that used to be the tip of a bridge near Bedono village.

'Previously, this place was a lake' , he said, pointing to the water, 'Now, it has disappeared, mingling with the sea'.

Some people are fishing on concrete slabs forming part of the bridge. A small house surrounded by sea water, protected by a breakwater, turned out to be a grave.

Abdullah Mudzakir's grave is surrounded by the sea.

'Everything was destroyed by the waves, except Abdullah Mudzakir's grave. That's strange, isn't it? ' , Mr. Rifai pity.

Most Muslim tourists agree with that. They make pilgrimages to Mudzakir's grave, which is an elderly and respected cleric in the area. His grave and some nearby people are the only things that don't sink, making some locals believe there are supernatural forces involved.

Tourists pilgrimage to Mudzakir's tomb.

Most coastal cities will be submerged?

Serious erosion occurs in most coastal areas in Indonesia, a country with more than 17,000 islands. This situation occurs because of various factors, including rising sea levels due to global climate change, the conversion of mangroves to fish farms, land subsidence due to overloaded buildings and declaration. Excessive underground waterfalls, land reclamation and infrastructure construction jutting out into the sea.

As in Bedono, environmental damage occurred in the 1990s, when villagers began to convert rice fields and mangroves to fish farms. They raise fry that are harvested twice a year and villagers continue to eradicate mangroves so they can raise more fish.

Icha Fahesya Della, 9, stood in her home in Bedono, which was also sinking under the water.

The government tries to slow down the erosion process by planting mangrove forests and building a bamboo and concrete coastal fence. However, scientists warn, the threat still exists and may increase.

The Indonesian Institute of Science predicts that by 2050, sea level will rise by 25 - 50cm, and by 2100, most coastal cities in Indonesia will be submerged.