On 26 November 2025, northern and eastern Aceh were hit by a severe hydrometeorological event that brought floods and landslides across river catchments. While headlines highlighted destroyed homes and infrastructure, another crisis quietly unfolded in Aceh’s wetlands—critical habitats for both resident and migratory birds.
Thousands of hectares of rice fields were buried under layers of sand and sediment. Coastal fishponds (tambaks) were smothered, and rivers choked with sediment lost depth, forming new deltas at river mouths. These changes are not just landscape transformations—they profoundly alter the habitats on which wildlife depend.
Wetlands are the beating heart of coastal ecosystems, and for migratory shorebirds, they are essential stopovers along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Many species feed on small fish, worms, crustaceans, and shrimps in intertidal mudflats. When these mudflats are buried under thick sediment, food disappears, and birds are forced to search further afield—sometimes unsuccessfully—during their grueling migrations.
Timing made the disaster worse: the flood occurred at the peak of the winter migratory season. Northern and eastern Aceh—particularly Aceh Utara, Aceh Timur, Langsa, and Aceh Tamiang—boast extensive mudflats and mangrove fringes that serve as feeding, resting, and stopover sites.
Before the flood, these areas were well-known among ornithologists and birdwatchers. Putra et al. (2020) highlighted Ulee Matang (Aceh Utara) and Kuala Parek (Aceh Timur) as priority sites for shorebirds, including critically endangered species like the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea). In October 2025, just weeks before the flood, surveys at these sites recorded thousands of shorebirds, including Redshank, Greenshank, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Curlew Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew, Little Stint, Red-necked Stint, Tibetan Sandplover, Pacific Golden Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Terek Sandpiper.
During the flood, coastal plains remained submerged for nearly four days, making it nearly impossible for short-legged shorebirds to forage. Mudflats buried by sediment became sterile stretches, disrupting feeding patterns and potentially threatening the birds’ survival during migration.
In the Asian Waterbird Census (January–February 2026), field teams observed a notable decline in shorebird numbers at Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar. Sites that once teemed with thousands of birds were unusually quiet. These trends underscore the need to assess lost feeding grounds, resting sites, and stopover habitats, as well as to identify any emerging new sites along the coast.
Recovery will require more than time—it will require restoration, careful monitoring, and conservation action. Surveys across eastern and western Aceh coasts are essential to map new mudflats, track prey availability, and ensure migratory shorebirds continue to find safe havens on their long journeys.
The November 2025 floods remind us that conservation is not only about protecting species—it’s about protecting the landscapes they rely on. Aceh’s wetlands are vital, not just for migratory shorebirds, but for the ecological balance of the region. Restoring and preserving these habitats is now more urgent than ever.
References :
Putra, C. A., Hikmatullah, D. L. Yong, Y., Muzika, Z., Arico, F., & Chowdhury, S. U. (2020). Identifying priority shorebird sites for conservation on the east coast of Aceh Province, Indonesia. Forktail 36, 106–113. Link
Asian Waterbird Census, Indonesia (2026). Field reports on coastal shorebird counts in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar.
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