For communities on the northern coast of Central Java, tidal floods are a constant, and growing, risk. Pekalongan and Semarang are particularly vulnerable, with 77% and 40% of their areas classified as lowlands.
In May 2022, tidal floods reached 1.1 meters in Pekalongan, submerging 51% of the city. In Semarang, tidal floods reached heights of 2 metres, inundating factories, homes and land. The flooding damaged property and fields, causing serious impacts on infrastructure, transport, livelihoods, health, agriculture, mobility and daily life.
As climate change affects sea levels globally, these communities are likely to deal with more frequent and severe tidal incursions: projections suggest that these tidal floods will worsen significantly.
A research project supported by KONEKSI is drawing on the growing potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to help these communities prepare for, and protect themselves, from future floods.
A collaborative research project between University of Wollongong in Australia, and Indonesia’s Telkom University, the River Basin Development Agency (BBWS) Pemali-Juana, and PT Anugerah Consulting Engineer Ltd, “Tide Eye” is using sensors, drones and internet-connected cameras to collect images, videos and data to monitor seawater level and tidal flood risks in real time.
Monitoring of water levels at seawalls has until now been done manually, and a lack of continuous monitoring has hindered timely responses to flood threats.
With the power of AI, real time water level information will allow BBWS to make quick decisions on how to operate flood infrastructure, potentially preventing floods before they start. Communities will be empowered to prepare through early warning systems.
In June, the KONEKSI team visited two of the four “Tide Eye” installations in Semarang: at the Yos Sudarso pump house and the Terboyo Industrial Complex. At these sites, the team observed the Tide Eye sensor installations and discussed the technology’s community impact.
Dr Miftadi Sudjai from Telkom University led a sharing session, highlighting the development of the monitoring system on water level and tidal floods, as well as the project’s data collection process.
The extensive dataset of imagery and video is being used as a foundation for training AI algorithms. Progress has been made in detecting tidal levels, identifying flooded areas from drone imagery, monitoring water levels using internet-connected cameras, and implementing flood warning systems.
Tide Eye, a mobile application for Android devices that provides water level status, is now accessible to the public.
More than just a monitoring app, Tide Eye can also provide information to re-route traffic on main roads affected by tidal floods. This feature will optimise traffic management, leading to smoother transportation and logistics operations around the bustling Tanjung Emas port.
“Tide Eye also plays a crucial role in tourism by mapping out evacuation routes during tidal floods,” Dr Sudjai said.
Later this year, a Demo Day for local communities and the regional government will share more about the research, sensor installations, and the application itself. On the same day, there will also be handover of the technology to BBWS.
Researchers hope that Tide Eye will not only reduce flood losses for communities in Pekalongan and Semarang, but could become a tool to support other flood-prone communities in both Indonesia and Australia.
To learn more about Tide Eye, please visit https://tideeye.org/