Legal Analysis of Cirebon Regency Regional Regulation Policy No. 6 of 2016 for Climate Change and Social Adaptation in Coastal Areas

Abstract

The Cirebon Regency is experiencing mounting pressures from climate change, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and increased frequency of natural disasters. These phenomena pose significant challenges to the region's socio-economic resilience. This phenomenon of climate change exerts a direct impact on the lives of these communities, manifesting in both ecological and economic dimensions. Consequently, the implementation of effective and adaptive environmental legal policies should serve as the primary mechanism to assist coastal communities in addressing these challenges. Nevertheless, despite the implementation of regulatory frameworks such as Regional Regulation No. 6 of 2016, which governs the Environmental Protection and Management Plan (RPPLH), the execution of this policy remains encumbered by substantial challenges. The primary challenges associated with the implementation of this policy encompass overlapping regulations, inadequate law enforcement, and the absence of active community participation in the policy formulation process. Moreover, despite the fact that this Regional Regulation governs climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives, there are still lacunae in more specific regulations pertaining to the social adaptation of coastal communities. Consequently, extant policies have not adequately ensured the optimal protection of coastal communities. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of environmental legal policies, particularly those outlined in Regional Regulation No. 6 of 2016, in facilitating the social adaptation of coastal communities to climate change. The present study utilizes a qualitative approach, incorporating case studies and in-depth interviews with affected communities, government officials, and environmental policy experts. To assess the consistency between existing policies and real conditions in the field, additional data were obtained through analysis of related legal documents. The findings of the study suggest a substantial discrepancy between the policies governed by Regional Regulation No. 6 of 2016 and the actual circumstances on the ground. The identified gaps pertained primarily to inter-agency coordination, resource allocation, and community access to environmental justice. Moreover, despite the fact that the regulations address climate change, the absence of rigorous law enforcement and the dearth of initiatives to empower coastal communities serve as significant impediments to the efficacy of this policy. Consequently, there is an imperative to recalibrate environmental legal policies, rendering them more adaptive, ecologically just, and capable of catering to the distinct requirements of coastal communities, encompassing social, economic, and environmental justice dimensions. This study confirms that, in order to achieve coastal community resilience to climate change, improvements to Regional Regulation No. 6 of 2016 are needed. These improvements should include more detailed regulations on social adaptation and climate change mitigation, as well as strengthen more consistent and coordinated law enforcement. This reform is imperative to ensure the sustainability of environmental management that is both equitable and beneficial to coastal communities.