Tides of Meaning: Traditional Fishermen’s Lived Experiences of Climate Change on Java’s Northern Coast

Abstract

Climate change is an urgent environmental issue with profound implications for traditional livelihoods, particularly among fishing communities in Southeast Asia. While existing studies have addressed economic and ecological aspects of climate change, little is known about how traditional fishermen subjectively experience and interpret these environmental transformations. To address this gap, this study asks: How do traditional fishermen in northern coastal Java make sense of climate change in their daily lives?

This study employs an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of twelve traditional fishermen whose livelihoods have been affected by shifting sea patterns and weather unpredictability. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic interpretation to uncover meaning structures within the participants' narratives. The findings reveal four key themes: the loss of temporal predictability, the erosion of cultural knowledge, spiritual reinterpretation, and identity transformation. These narratives reflect that climate change is not only a physical or economic crisis, but also a deeply personal and existential experience that reshapes how individuals relate to their environment, their heritage, and themselves.

These results contribute to a more human-centered understanding of climate resilience and highlight the importance of integrating cultural and subjective dimensions into environmental policy and adaptation planning. The study's insights are particularly relevant for formulating locally grounded climate adaptation strategies that honor traditional knowledge systems. However, the findings are limited by the small sample size and regional focus, which may not capture the full diversity of fishermen's experiences across Indonesia. Future research should extend this phenomenological lens to other vulnerable communities to further explore the personal meanings behind ecological change.