Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Masyarakat di daerah pedesaan dan perkotaan perlu bekerja sama menghadapi krisis iklim. - Communities in rural and urban areas need to work together to face the climate crisis.

Masyarakat means “society,” “the public,” or “community” as a collective group.
In this sentence, masyarakat refers to all people as a social group, not just individual persons.

masyarakat = society / the community (collective, a bit formal)
orang-orang = people (literally “persons,” plural, more individual)

If you said:

Orang-orang di daerah pedesaan dan perkotaan perlu bekerja sama…

it would still be understandable, but it sounds less formal and less “social/collective” in tone. Masyarakat fits better in a sentence about social responsibility and public action.

What does di daerah pedesaan dan perkotaan literally mean?

Literally:

di = in / at
daerah = area / region
pedesaan = rural (rural area / countryside)
perkotoan (typo; correct is perkotaan) = urban (urban area / cities)

So di daerah pedesaan dan perkotaan literally means:

in rural and urban areas

Or more naturally:

in rural and urban communities

Why is di used only once before daerah pedesaan dan perkotaan?

In Indonesian, one preposition can cover a coordinated phrase:

di daerah pedesaan dan perkotaan
= in rural and urban areas

You do not need to repeat di before perkotaan. Repeating it:

di daerah pedesaan dan di daerah perkotaan

is also correct, but longer and more formal-sounding. The shorter version is very natural.

What is the difference between desa / pedesaan and kota / perkotaan?

desa = village
pedesaan = rural areas / countryside (literally the “village-type” area)
kota = city
perkotaan = urban areas (literally the “city-type” area)

Pattern: pe- + noun + -an often makes a noun meaning “the area/field related to X”.

So:

pedesaan = rural area(s), village region(s)
perkotaan = urban area(s), city region(s)

Why is perlu used instead of harus?

Both relate to necessity, but the nuance is different:

perlu = need to / it is necessary to
(softer, more about what is needed or important)
harus = must / have to
(stronger obligation, sounds more like a rule or command)

In the sentence:

…perlu bekerja sama…
suggests “it is necessary/important that they work together,”
which fits the idea of a general recommendation or requirement.

If you used harus, it would sound more like a strong directive: they must do it.

Is bekerja sama one word or two? What’s the difference from kerja sama?

You will see three forms:

kerja sama (noun)
- “cooperation,” “collaboration”
- Example: Kerja sama internasional penting.
  = International cooperation is important.
bekerja sama (verb phrase)
- “to cooperate,” “to work together”
- Example: Kita harus bekerja sama.
  = We must work together.
bekerjasama (spelled as one word)
- Also seen in practice, but many style guides prefer bekerja sama (two words) for the verb.

In this sentence, perlu bekerja sama uses the verb: “need to work together.”

What does menghadapi mean, and what is its base form?

menghadapi = to face, to confront, to deal with

Base form: hadap = face (as a verb, “to face toward”).

The prefix meng- plus hadap makes menghadapi, a transitive verb (it takes an object):

menghadapi krisis iklim
= to face / to deal with the climate crisis

So the structure is:

bekerja sama (work together)
menghadapi krisis iklim (to face the climate crisis)

Why is there no untuk before menghadapi? Would bekerja sama untuk menghadapi… also be correct?

Yes, both are possible:

bekerja sama menghadapi krisis iklim
bekerja sama untuk menghadapi krisis iklim

With no “untuk”:
Indonesian often just puts two verbs in sequence to show purpose/goal:

bekerja sama menghadapi
≈ work together (in order) to face

With “untuk”:

bekerja sama untuk menghadapi
is a bit more explicit about purpose, similar to “work together in order to face…”

Both are grammatical and natural. The original is slightly more compact.

How do we know this sentence is about the present/future when there is no tense marking?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Context tells you whether it’s present, past, or future.

Perlu (“need to / is necessary to”) typically refers to current and ongoing necessity, which often implies present and future:

Masyarakat … perlu bekerja sama menghadapi krisis iklim.
= Society in rural and urban areas needs to work together to face the climate crisis (now and going forward).

If you wanted to be very explicit, you could add time words like:

sekarang (now)
ke depan (in the future, going forward)

Where is the plural “people” marked? Masyarakat looks singular.

Indonesian usually does not mark plural on the noun itself when context already makes it clear.

masyarakat is a collective noun = society / community (includes many people)
There is no need to add a plural marker like -s in English.

So:

Masyarakat di daerah pedesaan dan perkotaan
is understood as people in rural and urban areas / communities, not a single person.

Is krisis iklim the same as perubahan iklim?

They are related but not identical:

krisis iklim = climate crisis
(emphasizes the seriousness and urgency)
perubahan iklim = climate change
(more neutral, descriptive term)

In this sentence, krisis iklim highlights that the situation is urgent and dangerous, which matches the need for people to work together.

Is the whole sentence formal, informal, or neutral?

The sentence is neutral to formal:

Words like masyarakat, daerah pedesaan, perkotaan, krisis iklim are common in news, articles, speeches, and public campaigns.
It would sound very natural in written texts, presentations, or public announcements.

In casual conversation, speakers might shorten or simplify, but this form is still acceptable even in spoken Indonesian, especially when discussing serious topics.