Five Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students have researched the shifting of pranata mangsa, a local wisdom tradition of Javanese farming and fishing communities in the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY). The study was carried out under the Student Creativity Program for Social Sciences and Humanities Research (PKM-RSH).
The PKM-RSH team consists of Nasywan Dody Kurniawan (Cartography and Remote Sensing, 2024) as team leader, along with Muhammad Lodhi Firmansyah, Mochammad Rafli Nur Setyawan, Fayyadh Faliha Faruq, and Safrina Auliya Maruni (Cultural Anthropology, 2023). The team was supervised by Dr. Sandy Budi Wibowo from the UGM Faculty of Geography (Geography UGM).
Nasywan Dody Kurniawan explained that according to data from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Aug. 31, 2024, the DIY region experienced a cooling anomaly between -2.0°C and -0.5°C, compared to the normal range of 21°C to 26°C.
He noted that this phenomenon could potentially alter fish migration patterns, reduce fishers’ catches, and disrupt agricultural activities that depend on seasonal regularity.
“Pranata mangsa is traditional knowledge developed by Javanese agrarian communities, long used to interpret natural signs,” said Kurniawan at the UGM Campus on Thursday (Sep. 25).
He further explained that in Javanese communities, pranata mangsa is not only a planting calendar but also a guideline for coastal communities in determining the timing of fishing activities.
This knowledge, passed down through generations, is now being reexamined as an alternative to address climate uncertainty.
“We seek to understand how pranata mangsa is perceived by farmers and fishers in DIY, and to what extent it is still practiced in daily life,” Kurniawan said.
Muhammad Lodhi Firmansyah, the initiator of the research, added that based on research in nine coastal sites and twelve rice field areas in DIY, the team found generational differences in the knowledge of pranata mangsa.
Among fishers aged 60 and above, understanding of pranata mangsa as a guiding reference reached 71.54 percent, while among the younger group aged 15–30, it was only 51.27 percent.
A similar pattern was observed among farmers. Older generations demonstrated a comprehension level of 65.32%, while younger farmers (Gen Z) reached only 42.22%.
“These findings indicate that the transmission of this traditional knowledge is weakening over time,” Firmansyah explained.
According to him, this condition requires immediate follow-up. Without conservation strategies that involve younger generations, pranata mangsa risks losing its relevance as a seasonal guide.
“In fact, pranata mangsa has the potential to support climate change adaptation and food security,” he said.
Through their study, the PKM-RSH team hopes that the research will extend beyond academic discussions and encourage local policies to preserve this cultural knowledge.
As a longstanding local wisdom, pranata mangsa also has the potential to be recognized as part of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage.
“To ensure its continuity, we hope the world, through UNESCO, will acknowledge pranata mangsa, which is not yet included in the list of intangible cultural heritage. This research can serve as a starting point to bridge traditional knowledge with modern science, so that pranata mangsa remains relevant in addressing climate change,” Firmansyah concluded.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Salma
Photographs: Freepik & PKM-RSH Pranata Mangsa Team