BIG Announces The Discovery Of 63 New Islands In Indonesia

Illustration of the Indonesian archipelago (ANTARA)

JAKARTA The Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) announced the discovery of 63 new islands spread across various regions of the archipelago. The new islands are scattered in the Bangka Belitung Islands, Southeast Sulawesi, North Maluku, and West Kalimantan.

The head of BIG, Muh Aris Marfai, at a press conference at the Antara Heritage Center Building, Jakarta, Thursday (an unnamed date), explained that the increase in the number of islands was the result of the latest field assessment.

The study involved BIG researchers, related technical ministries, and local governments by utilizing advanced technologies such as Lidar and satellite imagery.

The new islands are scattered in the Bangka Belitung Islands, Southeast Sulawesi, North Maluku, and West Kalimantan. Previously, these islands were not detected because their location was in the outermost area and their geographical condition was isolated.

With this discovery, the total number of islands that already have official names and coordinates in Indonesia will reach 17,380 by 2024. This figure shows an increase compared to previous years, namely 17,374 islands in 2023, 17,024 islands in 2022, and 16,771 islands in 2020.

Muh Aris explained that the newly inventoried islands had met four main requirements to be categorized as islands, in accordance with government laws and regulations related to spatial planning.

These conditions include, having a maximum land area of 2,000 square kilometers, forming naturally, not reclamation results, surrounded by water, and always above the highest surface of tides.

The increase in the number of islands, according to Muh Aris, is a big achievement for Indonesia in managing geospatial data. This data can be used to optimize the use of natural resources, support the interests of the community, and prevent potential regional claims by external parties.

"This is an important step forward for Indonesia. We ask all parties, including the community, government, and academics, to refer to the official data provided by BIG in the future," said Muh Aris.