Communicating Social Capitals of Local Communities for a Sustainable Proklim in Aceh

Abstract

Program Kampung Iklim (Proklim) is a national mitigation and adaptation program toclimate change in Indonesia. Like other areas across the country, several districts inAceh Province are designated Climate Village Program (Proklim). However, as aninnovative government-led initiative, the program's efficacy in Aceh has not beenwell-documented. This study explores the potential challenges and opportunities ofProklim implementation in Aceh. Even though Proklim is a significant initiative foradapting to the impact of climate change, poor community involvement in theplanning and implementation stages led to the program's unsustainability. Lack ofpublic participation correlates with their limited understanding of the program'sbenefits. Moreover, people's poor understanding is influenced by how the program iscommunicated. Drawing from previous research on public participation inimplementing Proklim in three areas in Aceh Besar districts, this study analyzes theinternal and external factors identified as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, andthreats of the climate change programs. The study argues that exploring andcommunicating the social capitals of local communities allows for more publicinvolvement and participation in developing sustainable Proklim in the area.