Desa Cepogo Launches DEKSI: Bold Move to Shield Residents from Climate Change Crisis

Jepara Kartininews.com - The Cepogo Village Government, Kembang Subdistrict, Jepara Regency, has established the Desa/Kelurahan Sehat Iklim (DEKSI) — Climate Healthy Village/Subdistrict — as an effort to increase community preparedness in facing the impacts of climate change that affect health, the environment, and the socio-economic resilience of residents. The DEKSI empowerment and formation activity took place at the Cepogo Village Hall on Tuesday (9/6/2026).

In his opening remarks, Cepogo Village Head Sunaryo stated that the presence of DEKSI is expected to become a strategic partner for the village government in creating a healthy environment while enhancing the community’s ability to deal with various impacts of climate change.

"With the birth of this Climate Healthy Village/Subdistrict (DEKSI), we hope that DEKSI can become a strategic partner for the village government in maintaining environmental health, strengthening community participation, and supporting sustainable village development," he said.

Retno Kusbandiyah SKM, Head of the Environmental Health Working Team at the Jepara Regency Health Office and also Chair of the Facilitator Team, said that climate change is currently being felt directly by the community through increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

According to her, high-intensity rains that trigger flooding, prolonged droughts that cause shortages of clean water, and rising air temperatures are clear signs of climate change affecting people’s lives.

"Climate change is not just an environmental issue, but is also closely related to public health. Therefore, joint preparedness is needed so that communities become more resilient in facing its impacts," Retno said.

Cepogo Village has become the sixth village out of a total of 195 villages and subdistricts in Jepara Regency to implement the DEKSI program, she added.

Jepara Regency Health Office Head Hadi Sarwoko SKM, S.Kep., MMKes., MM, in a WhatsApp message, said that the formation of DEKSI is one form of joint effort to protect the community from the threats of climate change.

"DEKSI is a manifestation of our shared effort to protect residents from the threats of climate change. Through this movement, the community is encouraged to be better prepared to face various health and environmental risks so that the quality of life of residents can continue to be maintained," he said.

According to Hadi, the impacts of climate change not only affect health but also the economic sector and social life of the community. Crop failures due to floods or droughts can reduce residents’ income and disrupt family food security. Moreover, recurring disasters also have the potential to cause psychological stress and anxiety within the community.

As the initiator of DEKSI’s establishment in Cepogo Village, Enny Widiyanti AMKL, a sanitarian from the Kembang Community Health Center (Puskesmas), explained that villages play an important role as the frontline in facing climate change.

"When floods occur, dengue fever cases increase, or there is a shortage of clean water, it is the village communities that feel the impacts first. Therefore, villages should not only be victims of climate change but must also be part of the solution," she said.

Enny explained that DEKSI is a joint community movement to maintain health and the environment so they remain safe amid climate change. The program aims to increase public understanding of the relationship between climate change and health, reduce the risk of environment-based diseases, and create a healthier and more comfortable living environment.

Meanwhile, Jepara Regency Health Office facilitator Asrori explained that there are five important stages in realizing DEKSI. The initial stage is carried out through community empowerment using the participatory kit method.

"Through the participatory kit, participants are actively invited to identify various problems in their environment through games and group discussions. The results of this identification then become the basis for preparing the Community Work Plan (RKM)," he explained.

Other facilitator Rukmawati added that the participatory approach is the key to the success of the DEKSI program.

"The community is directly involved from identifying problems, preparing plans, to implementing and evaluating activities. In this way, the community becomes the main actor in efforts to maintain environmental health," she said.

One of the empowerment participants, Ariyati Musrifah Nur, who is affectionately known as Bu Atik, admitted that the empowerment method used was easy to understand and made the participants enthusiastic about joining the entire series of activities. 

“The delivery of the material was very easy to understand and made the participants more active. We have gained a better understanding that maintaining the environment and health is a shared responsibility,” she said.

In addition to the community empowerment activities, a Community Working Team (TKM) for Cepogo Village was also formed on this occasion. This team will serve as the driving force for implementing the Desa/Kelurahan Sehat Iklim (DEKSI) program at the village level.

The formation of the TKM is an important part of ensuring that all DEKSI programs and work plans can run sustainably through active community participation.

Empowerment participant Ariyati Musrifah Nur (Bu Atik) was entrusted as the Chairperson of the DEKSI TKM in Cepogo Village. She is assisted by Marfuatin as Vice Chairperson, Ninik Nur Faizah as Secretary, and Sulastri as Treasurer.

The organizational structure also includes several working sections. In the Facilities Procurement Section, Heryanto was appointed as coordinator, with Kadrin and Endro Wohono as members. In the Education and Communication Section, Siti Nurul Janah was appointed as coordinator, with Tri Wahyuni and Yuli Ana as members.

Meanwhile, the Empowerment Section is chaired by Kristayu Ningsih, with Indah Wijayanti and Khotimatus Saadah as members. All members of the TKM are expected to become drivers of various activities related to environmental health, public education, and increasing the resilience of residents in facing the impacts of climate change.

Through DEKSI, the community is expected to gain significant benefits, including a reduction in cases of dengue fever (DBD), diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections (ISPA); the creation of a cleaner and greener environment; increased spirit of mutual cooperation (gotong royong); and reduced treatment costs, thereby maintaining community productivity.