Socio-Ecological Resilience of a Coastal Community Facing Coastal Erosion in Bangboler Hamlet, Sikka Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Coastal erosion continues to recur and threatens the sustainability of coastal communities' living spaces, yet how social capital (trust, networks, and cooperative practices within broader social response capacity) interacts with ecological conditions and institutional support in building socio-ecological resilience remains insufficiently explained. This study aims to analyze the impacts of coastal erosion, community adaptation strategies, and the relationship among social response capacity, ecological recovery, and institutional support. The study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design in Bangboler Hamlet, Hepang Village, Sikka Regency. Data were obtained from 20 informants representing affected households, local livelihood actors, and community and coastal-management actors through semi-structured interviews, field observation, and documentation. Data were analyzed through six-phase reflexive thematic analysis using a contextualist, hybrid inductive and theory-informed orientation. The findings show that coastal erosion triggers cascading changes in the coast, vegetation, settlements, water sources, mobility, and livelihoods. The community responds through mutual assistance, local knowledge, livelihood flexibility, and screw-pine planting. Although social responses were mobilized rapidly, participants perceived ecological recovery as slower, while institutional support was described as episodic and fragmented. Community participation has not yet been fully transformed into a long-term preventive strategy that is maintained technically and institutionally. These differences in function, strength, and time scale are interpreted as asymmetric socio-ecological resilience, a case-based conceptual synthesis rather than a validated general theory. This study proposes that coastal resilience be assessed through relationships among capacities and that governance align community mobilization with ecologically informed rehabilitation, financing, maintenance, monitoring, and institutional coordination.