Geophysics for the environment in Indonesia

Environmental geophysics holds significant but underutilized potential for tackling Indonesia's diverse environmental challenges by supporting investigations of groundwater contamination, water infiltration, and the accumulation of metals in soils and crops-issues crucial for agriculture, public health, and sustainable land management. Emerging technologies such as UAV-assisted imaging, airborne surveys, and oceanographic geophysical observations further demonstrate the flexibility of modern geophysics in studying coastal processes, wave behaviour, and coral reef conditions. However, its application-especially in urban Indonesia-remains limited due to physical obstructions, cultural noise, restricted workspace, regulatory hurdles, and safety concerns, while the absence of geophysical test sites (GTS) and a shortage of skilled practitioners constrain methodological advancement and training. Based on bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications, this study shows that integration between geophysics and environmental science is growing but still insufficient. Strengthening environmental geophysics in Indonesia requires developing dedicated training and calibration facilities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and adopting technological innovations tailored to dense urban and complex geological settings so that geophysics can play a more effective role in environmental monitoring, resource sustainability, and resilience to ecological and urban challenges.