Community resilience in dealing with Tempe lake disaster

Abstract

Tempe Lake is the largest lake in Province of South Sulawesi, located in three regencies, i.e. Wajo, Soppeng and Sidendreng Rappang (Sidrap). Every year during the rainy season, the water overflows the lake causing floods, and during the dry season, there is siltation that results in difficulties of catching fish. The condition of the unstable lake often becomes a disaster for people around the lake. This paper aims to analyze the forms of community response or resilience during instability of water of Tempe Lake. The data used are from field studies conducted in June-November 2017. The study sites are focused at Tempe Sub-district, Wajo Regency with the consideration that the area is experiencing the severity of flooding and high silt. The method used is qualitative. The data obtained from direct interviews with some fishermen, farmers, and residents living around the lake and other informants such as Adat Chief, Village Head / Neighborhood Head, Local Government, and Macoa Tappareng (lake guard). The results of the study showed that when the overflowing water causing floods during the rainy season, fishermen and communities around the lake responded through a ritual ceremony of maccera tappareng in the form of a request to the lord of the lake in order not to cause a big disaster. Their houses which are floating houses are tied so well that they are not drifted. But behind the flood, the community also gained blessings in the number of fish catches due to the extensive fishing grounds. In the dry season where the lake becomes silt, the fishermen suffer from the lack of fish caught but obtain a blessing in the form of new agricultural land on the edge of the lake left by the water.

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