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Over the past few years, abrasion has severely affected the coastal areas of Karawang, bringing tangible impacts on the lives of coastal communities, including those in Cemarajaya Village. The significant retreat of the shoreline has altered local living conditions, causing damage to residential areas, road infrastructure, and productive land, as well as contributing to declining social and economic conditions. Many residents of Cemarajaya Village have even been forced to relocate to more suitable settlements located farther from the coast due to the destruction of their homes by wave erosion.

This reality has motivated HIMAFI and KMKL students to directly contribute to addressing the problem of coastal abrasion in Cemarajaya Village. Through this collaboration, students and local residents planted 300 mangrove seedlings across a coastal area of approximately 300 hectares. Mangrove planting aims to strengthen coastal protection against abrasion through root systems capable of reducing wave energy and trapping sediment. The mangrove species planted in this activity was Api-api (Avicennia marina), a pioneer species known for its high adaptability to coastal environments with relatively high salinity levels and abrasion intensity.

“The implementation of the planting activity faced challenges due to higher-than-expected tidal conditions, causing the activity to begin only in the afternoon. Nevertheless, community enthusiasm remained high, with the involvement of youth organizations, volunteers, and village officials who assisted in the planting process and beach clean-up. This participation strengthens our hope that this activity can serve as an initial step in reinforcing coastal protection in Cemarajaya Village against abrasion,” said Nabiel Putra Santosa (Marine Engineering Student, 2022).

In addition to involving the residents of Cemarajaya Village, this community service program also targeted children as part of efforts to build disaster awareness and resilience from an early age. A total of 30 elementary school students participated in the “mangrove school” program conducted in collaboration with the RODA Reading House community in Cemarajaya Village. Through this activity, children were introduced to the issue of coastal abrasion and the important role of mangroves in protecting shorelines. The learning process was delivered interactively using visual aids and a handbook, making the material easier and more engaging for the children to understand.

Beyond classroom-style education, the children were also encouraged to take part directly (hands-on) in mangrove planting activities in the field. This involvement was designed to provide experiential learning in coastal environmental conservation. Through this experience, it is expected that children will develop a sense of care, responsibility, and environmental awareness toward their surroundings from an early age.

“Alhamdulillah, this activity was successfully carried out. We greatly appreciate the enthusiasm shown by the children throughout the program, especially during the prototype demonstration session and the mangrove planting activity. Hopefully, their spirit and cheerfulness will remain strong amid the challenges of abrasion they face, and grow into hope that limitations will not prevent them from achieving a better future,” said Anggrita Naya (Physics Student, 2022).