BOPPJ: Pekalongan Considered for Early Stage of Giant Sea Wall

The Badan Otorita Pengelola Pantai Utara Jawa (BOPPJ) has revealed that the Pekalongan region is being considered for inclusion in the early stage of the Giant Sea Wall (GSW) construction. “Yes, it is being considered. It has been included; now we have calculated the scale for Kendal, Semarang, and Demak, with detailed planning nearly 80 per cent complete. For Pekalongan, we are currently implementing mitigation measures,” stated BOPPJ Head Didit Herdiawan Ashaf during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday. Didit added that for Pekalongan, further investigations into its waters, beaches, and related aspects are necessary, which BOPPJ will undertake to enable simultaneous execution of activities. “That is why we are building it using a 15-segment method. It does not have to connect from west to east, but under certain conditions, segment 3 might be prioritised in Pekalongan or segment 4 at another point. We will intervene there, provided it follows the established procedures,” he said. For context, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo has proposed to BOPPJ that Pekalongan be included as a priority area in the first phase of GSW construction, in addition to Jakarta Bay and the Semarang-Kendal-Demak region. According to Dody, the Public Works Ministry has been requested by BOPPJ to place personnel within the authority and continues to coordinate with BOPPJ on the Giant Sea Wall development. The Badan Otorita Pengelola Pantai Utara Jawa has highlighted the urgency of constructing the Giant Sea Wall to safeguard the northern coast of Java’s contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) of around $368.3 billion. BOPPJ stated that one of the ways to address the urgency of protecting Java’s northern coast (Pantura) is through building the Giant Sea Wall. In addition to groundwater level decline, the Pantura Java region also experiences tidal flooding due to rising sea levels, which threatens national assets in the area. Furthermore, strategic cities in the Pantura Java region, such as Semarang, are experiencing land subsidence and tidal flooding.