The political ecology of disasters: The impact of knowledge/power on the responses to urban coastal disasters in Pekalongan, Indonesia

Abstract

The coastal region of North Java is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, as evidenced by worsening tidal flooding driven by accelerated land subsidence and rising sea levels. Various risk management strategies have been implemented, often incorporating local community participation. Drawing on political ecology and post-politics frameworks, this study examines how expert and authoritative knowledge shape these strategies through discursive processes. Using case study methods, we analyse the role of knowledge production in disaster management. The study's findings reveal a fundamental divide in knowledge systems: while government agencies and experts emphasise rational, technical and large-scale infrastructural solutions, local communities derive their understanding from lived experiences and the direct impacts on their livelihoods. Disaster management discourse remains dominated by Western-centric, technocratic paradigms, reinforcing decisions that prioritise infrastructure development and decentralised governance. However, these top-down interventions often produce unintended consequences for vulnerable communities. The discourse surrounding climate change is couched in terms of an urgent crisis, thus further legitimising large-scale interventions while sidelining community-driven adaptation strategies. In response, local communities assert their own expertise through daily adaptation practices and traditional knowledge. This study highlights the need for a more inclusive approach to disaster governance; one that integrates diverse knowledge systems and empowers local actors. We argue that scientific and institutional frameworks should evolve to support alternative perspectives and sustainable, localised responses to climate-related disasters.