Shock and adaption: The economic impact of COVID-19 in the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia

¹ Doctoral Program of Development Study, Graduate School, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
² Graduate School, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
³ Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
⁴ Graduate Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: yonariza@agr.unand.ac.id

Abstract

Remote coastal communities face many challenges yet often demonstrate considerable resilience to be able to survive. This study explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the household economy, and their adaptive responses to it, in two villages of the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. Data were collected using FGD and household surveys. The survey was carried out in Sido Makmur village on Sipora Island and at Muntei village on Siberut Island. Thirty households were randomly selected in each village. Data collected included; household characteristics, type of income change, government subsidy received, and response to the income change. The research found that COVID-19 policies affected many parts of life. There were significant reductions in income level not only because of losing employment but also because disruption of supply chains also lowered demand for local produce. People responded to the lower-income by intensifying their involvement in the agricultural and fishery sectors to meet their food security needs. This study highlights the importance of strengthening access to local resources to cope with disasters in the island’s region.