Prabowo Starts Giant Sea Embankment Project To Protect 50 Million Pantura Residents

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said that the Giant Sea Embankment National Strategic Project (Giant Sea Wall) is ready to be built stretched on the north coast of Java (Pantura) to protect 50 million people from high sea level.

While chairing the Plenary Cabinet Session in one year of government, Prabowo explained that the construction of a giant 535-kilometer sea wall in Pantura was the government's solution in dealing with sea water rise of about 5 centimeters per year due to the impact of climate change.

"We have also started preparations to build 535 km long of sea embankments on the north coast of Java. This is to save 50 million people. Sea water rises 5 cm a year," said President Prabowo while giving an introduction to the Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace in Jakarta, Monday, October 20.

Prabowo assessed that the threat of climate change was in sight. In addition, as many as 60 percent of the national industry is located in the coastal area north of Java.

Prolific rice fields that become national food barns can also be threatened if the sea embankment is not built immediately.

Prabowo emphasized that this step is a form of state responsibility in protecting the people and the nation's strategic assets.

"If I'm not mistaken, 60 percent of our industry is on the north coast of Java. Tens of thousands of hectares of fertile rice fields are also there. We must save it," said the President.

The giant marine embankment project is one of the national strategic programs (PSN) of the Prabowo government to protect coastal areas from tidal threats and the impact of climate change.

A number of phases of Giant Sea Wall development will be offered for funding cooperation with partner countries. Later, project financing will focus on the Government and Business Entity Cooperation (PPP) scheme.

On the previous occasion, Prabowo explained that the construction of the sea embankment project which has been included in the National Planning Agency (Bappenas) planning since 1995 requires a cost of at least 80 billion US dollars or equivalent to Rp1,297 trillion.

Even though he has been in the planning since 1995, Prabowo does not feel discouraged because the mega project will only be completed until it changes leadership of the President.

"(The project) is vital and it's something mega-project. I don't know which President will complete it, but we have to start and we will start," the President said some time ago.