"The Bajo Tribe and Their Lost Home"

Some of us definitely shocked when we know that the small islands in Solomon are drowning due to the rise of the sea levels. Nowadays, people living ini Solomon must flee to other islands or live in the hill. The impact of the climate change force them to leave their original residence they have occupied since decades to hundreds of years ago. However, we don't have to look this phenomenon far away like Solomon Island, because it also happens here in Indonesia.

 That is, BajoTribe, a group of local tribes who lived in the Bone Bay, Luwu, South Sulawesi who are also experiencing the same thing. They are very well known for their unique culture where they built their home in the middle of the sea. "Our ancestors lived on a bido (boat) in the past", said one of the Head of Bajo tribe.  However, for the past 20 years, the unfriendly condition of the sea has destroyed their original settlement.

For hundreds years, they have made the sea as their home. The source of their life completely depended on the sea. They live in zeenomadenculture - roaming the sea using sampan/canoes - and doing marine economic activities. So, no wonder if the other tribes around them called them as a sea-gypsies. They built floating houses with material from mangrove and bamboo woods with roofs from nipa. The poles are set as high as 2-2,5 meter with an average wide 11 x 7 meter. 

In the side part of their house, there is parking lot for the boat. They use boat as their major transportation through the sea. Between houses and settlements wil be connected with footbridge that connects between one building with other building.They belief that breathing sea air in their daily life is essential. The direct scenery  facing the sea is a must for the establishment of a settlement. They will feel uncomfortable if they cannot hear the sound of the waves, eventhough for just a few moments.

Everything has changed over this past twenty years. The sea condition in Bone Bay is no longer as friendly as before. Now, the sea levels ahead of the tide can reach 1,825 until 2,441 meter and exceed the high limit of Bajo Tribe's house which is only has 2 meters tall. Tidal waves and storms continuosly strike the settlement causing their house infrastructure submerged and damaged. The hard strike of the sea waves were also almost able to knock down their houses. 

It is not only that, the following rain fall and down time also the spread is also vary and unpredictable. This caused extreme weather which caused wave of storm and hurricane. Those who lived in the sea and depended their life from the sea resources were greatly affected by the changes. The unstable weather and climate made their income also unstable.

 Whereas before, the Bajo tribe never experienced something like that. Their ancestors always consider the area where they were sufficiently protected from the waves. They truly understand that the natural condition will affect their settlements. The water area of Bone Bay which they turned into settlements are the most stable area for them to live.

Some adaptation efforts have been implemented for the sake to live in the sea, from raising the height of the house to building concrete pillar. Year after year, the strike of the sea waves, wind, and storm are difficult to handle. The only way that they must do is to leave  the settlements in the sea which is impossible to live in.

The goverment of Luwu district intervened in the adaption process of Bajo tribe settlement against the climate change. Through Public Work Office, Spatial Planning, and Human Settlements, the goverment is building new settlement for Bajo tribe in the area that considered safe. Their settlements now are built on the coastal sea (land), no longer on the sea as their ancestors used to built their home. 

The location is considered ideal because it can protect them from storm surge and tidal waves that can rise the sea level. The pattern of their new settlement which was first facing the sea now changed turned its back to the sea. The effort was made to avoid the strike of storm surge at the time of the extreme weather. It is surely unfavorable for Bajo tribe who have been accustomed to see at the sea all day in their daily life. However, they have no other choices.

Besides. the change of the location of the settlement, the characteristic of  Bajo tribe's house also changed. The house that built by the goverment has no characteristic of the Bajo tribe. Although it has grandstage form, like the original form of Bajotribe's house, the goverment have less concern on the things that related to Bajo tribe's characteristic, such as the hollow roof shape for air circulation, open gap between body of the house and roof, as well as using material in the form of zin that cannot be fully accepted by the Bajo tribe.