Coordinating Ministry For Infrastructure Affirms Giant Sea Wall Can Prevent Abrasi And Rob

National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) in the Muara Baru area of Jakarta, Monday (10/1/2022). (ANTARA PHOTO/Wahyu Putro A/wsj.)

The Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development revealed the importance of building a giant sea wall (GSW) on the coast of Jakarta and other areas of Java.

Special Staff to the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), Herzaky Mahendra Putra, emphasized that GSW was able to prevent tidal flooding and abrasion.

According to him, GSW will not harm fishermen, or the lower middle class people who live in coastal areas.

"The GSW project is actually to increase the welfare of coastal residents who have been overshadowed by the threat of tidal flooding and abrasion. Fishermen's friends, residents of the coast of Jakarta, coastal residents outside Jakarta, yes, all coastal areas, later those who enter this program, will even be more prosperous," said Herzaky in Jakarta, Tuesday, February 18.

Herzaky explained that the GSW development program is part of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD). This project, apart from preventing tidal flooding and abrasion, can also improve the quality of community sanitation.

"Not only that, NCICD can solve a number of challenges such as sanitation and the provision of better clean water. As well as ensuring better connectivity between regions. The point is for the development of a sustainable northern coastal area of Java Island," explained Herzaky.

The feasibility study for the GWS program has been carried out in 2020. According to him, the feasibility study, which was prepared five years ago, needs to be re-checked whether it is still in accordance with the current conditions and a number of expectations related to the project.

On November 4, 2024, Coordinating Minister AHY visited the construction of embankments in Muara Baru, North Jakarta. The embankment was built 2.3 kilometers high 4.8 meters above sea level, aiming to protect more than 20,000 families (KK), as well as an area of 160 to 170 hectares from the threat of tidal flooding.

"Imagine if there is no embankment, public safety is really under threat," said AHY.

Coordinating Minister AHY emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Ministry of Public Works (PU) and the Jakarta Provincial Government, as well as all relevant stakeholders. "There is not a single entity that can solve the flood problem alone. We need to work together," he added.

If you look at various abrasion data on the northern coast of Java Island, especially in data from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) in 2015, it is stated that 400 kilometers of coastline in Indonesia disappeared due to abrasion.

As a result, the total length of the coastline of 745 kilometers disappeared 44 percent. Including on the Tangerang coast, an area of 579 hectares (ha) of land disappeared throughout 1995-2015. It is stated that almost all villages on the coast of Tangerang Regency have experienced massive abrasions or accretion in the last 10 years.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, stated that the coastal abrasion rate has increased significantly to 200 m to 500 m in the last 10 years.

"It seems that areas whose mangroves are not maintained are very risky to erode (abration) in a significant area," he said.