Strengthening health literacy for heatstroke early warning systems in rural Banten

Abstract

Heat stress among smallholder farmers in Indonesia is a livelihood and cultural dilemma, where physical endurance is often prioritised over well-being in the pursuit of rezeki (sustenance). This creates a tension in which farmers normalise environmental risk as part of their identity and limit adaptive responses to climate change. This study aims to apply the Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR) as a communication framework in heat-stress extension to strengthen the adaptive capacity and resilience of the farming community in Tirtayasa Village, Banten. This study investigated: how can the Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR) reconfigure agricultural extension from information delivery into a communicative process that transforms how farmers interpret and respond to heat stress? Using a qualitative case study approach, post-training interviews were conducted with 13 farmers following a participatory workshop organised by Serang Raya University and its international partners. Data were analysed thematically based on five dimensions of CTR. The findings show that CTR reconfigures the communicative logic of farming communities. Farmers began to shift from silent endurance toward shared reflection, mutual support, and collective interpretation of heat stress as a communal challenge rather than an individual burden. However, this transformation remains uneven, particularly among senior farmers who tend to maintain fatalistic perspectives and habitual routines. These findings suggest that CTR-based extension redefines agricultural extension from instruction to co-construction. At a broader level, this communicative shift has implications for stabilising rural livelihoods, reducing health vulnerabilities, and strengthening community-based adaptation to climate change.