Less than two hours by ferry from the noise and chaos of Jakarta, Pari Island feels almost unreal.
The Indonesian capital’s 10 million residents are replaced here by just 1,500.
Children spend all day playing barefoot on sandy white beaches, while pristine turquoise waters lap gently at the shore. But paradise has a fragile side. Swing sets and picnic tables poke out of the water, reminders of what the rising tides have claimed.
“During high tides or tidal floods, the water comes right into the house, up to about here,” says resident Arif Pujianto, pointing to decaying kitchen cabinets inside his home. “You can still see the marks. It left all this damage, made things rot and fall apart.”
Now the community is fighting back. They’ve launched a landmark legal case against Swiss cement giant Holcim, claiming the company is responsible for 0.42 per cent of global carbon emissions since 1950 — and should pay the same share of the environmental damage caused to Pari Island.
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