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undreds of homes and food stalls located along the Bantul coast in Yogyakarta are at risk of being washed away due to the rapid pace of coastal erosion.

“The pace of erosion has been quite fast over the past year as it has reached almost 100 meters inland. On average, the shoreline has been eroded by up to 2 meters every week,” said Muhammad Daud, a resident of Kuwaru Beach, Srandakan, Bantul.

Dozens of eating stalls located more than 150 meters from the shoreline are now only dozens of meters from the water’s edge.

Huge waves, which coincide with high tides, cause seawater to enter the houses. “We are very concerned, but we don’t know what to do. If possible, we’d build tide barriers but where would we get the money?” asked Daud.

In the past several years, coastal erosion has washed away dozens of food stalls. Two homes in Samas Beach, Srigading, Sanden, in Bantul, have also vanished due to erosion.

Hundreds of pine trees along the beach have also fallen due to coastal erosion.

Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Ha-mengkubuwono X, who immediately inspected the location, acknowledged that coastal erosion had threatened the safety of coastal communities. “Relocating them is one of the options to protect them,” said Sultan.

However, he explained that the planned relocation would take a long time and a feasibility study, involving various parties, was necessary. “The relocation needs research and spatial planning and currently we need prompt actions,” asserted Sultan.

Sultan said the provincial administration would build barriers along the beach to curb the pace of erosion. “This is part of an urgent measure to save the coastline, such as that carried out along the river, which originates from Mt. Merapi,” said Sultan.

Funds for the construction of the wave barriers will be derived from 2012 provincial budget changes and funds for long-term handling will be taken from the 2013 provincial budget.

The head of Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University Marine Technology and Resources Study Center, Nurul Hakim, said the rapid pace of coastal erosion was most likely triggered by huge waves and tides. “The conditions are attributed to the minimum supply of material from rivers due to the drought,” he said on Thursday.

Hakim added the fast pace of the coastal erosion could also be triggered by rampant sand mining in Mt. Merapi.