The impact of coastal erosion on land cover changes in Muaragembong, Bekasi, Indonesia: a spatial approach to support coastal conservation

Abstract

Muaragembong is a Citarum River estuarine ecosystem that has a lowland coast, a delta environment, tidal mudflats, and mangroves along the coast. Muaragembong has recently experienced severe coastal erosion in the last decade due to mainly rapid land cover changes in coastal areas, generating sediment imbalances and diminishing coastal resistance to wave action. In this study, the combination of multispectral bands from Landsat images and GIS approaches supported by ground observation was used to determine satellite-based coastline and land cover changes from 1990 to 2020. With a maximum rate of 132.55 m/year, Desa Pantai Bahagia is the most vulnerable area to coastal erosion. Meanwhile, coastal accretion has occurred at Desa Harapanjaya on a constant basis, with a peak accretion rate of 52.13 m/year. The combined extents of eroded and accreted shorelines along the coast of Muaragembong are approximately − 1,707.09 and + 512.14 hectares, respectively. Since the 1980s, the extensive clearance of mangroves for shrimp and fish ponds, along with the decreased sediment input into the estuary due to dam construction, are likely to have had a significant impact on coastal erosion in Muaragembong. Since current measures are insufficient to deal with ongoing coastal erosion, a comprehensive approach and long-term solutions are required for sustainable coastal zone management. This study provides a detailed analysis of shoreline changes over the last three decades and their impact on land cover change, enabling conservation practitioners to allocate their resources more wisely and efficiently to the most critical and prioritized coastal conservation regions.