The Vibrancy of Eilogo Village in Facing the Modern Era and Climate Change Threats: A Story of a Small Village in Sabu Raijua, East Nusa Tenggara

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them,"

ALBERT EINSTEIN

This article is the first part of the continuing story: Geliat Desa Eilogo Survives in the Modern Era and the Threat of Climate Change.

Let me tell you about Eilogo Village, one of the 12 villages in Sabu Liae District, Sabu Raijua Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. On the map, the regency consists of two main islands — Sabu/Sawu and Raijua — and another island called Dana. Eilogo Village is located on Sabu Island. Its residents are indigenous Sabunese. The village has existed since the 1950s. To reach it, one must travel to Kupang first, then continue by fast boat or airplane.

You might think that, as a coastal community, the people of Eilogo are mostly fishers. You are right, but only to some extent. Most villagers are farmers. Their agricultural plantation primarily grows sorghum, mung beans, corn, and tubers, with lontar fruit processed into palm sugar. And for horticulture farming, such as vegetables, seaweed, fruit plants, and medicinal herbs.

Agricultural practices are closely tied to the climate. The dry climate, characterized by limited rainfall, shapes the community's farming patterns, which are also reinforced by customary rules still practiced today. Planting seasons for sorghum, mung beans, and corn follow these customs. When the planting time set by the “Mone Ama” is declared, all livestock must be tied up, penned, or tightly guarded to avoid damaging crops. The beginning and the end of planting season are usually marked by the sound of a gong.

Besides farming, people also fish, although only a few do it as a primary livelihood. Most do it to meet household protein needs. Seaweed farming began in the 1990s but has declined since 2015 due to disease and pests. Today, seaweed prices fluctuate between Rp 30,000 and Rp 35,000 per kilogram due to the reduced number of villagers who continue planting after Cyclone Seroja.

As a small-island community, Eilogo is predicted to be more vulnerable to climate change impacts compared to mainland areas. A vulnerability study by CCROM-SEAP IPB, KLHK, NTT Provincial Government, and UNDP–SPARK Project indicates that several villages, including those in Sabu Raijua, will experience increased drought risk and potential tornadoes.

Thus, the community must prepare strategies. Vulnerability can increase if other compounding factors arise, such as ecological degradation, dangerous sea waves isolating the area, or a lack of knowledge about changing weather patterns.

I ask myself: How will Eilogo survive and adapt to climate change? What can they do? Can they help themselves? What will happen to their beautiful beaches?