BOPPJ: President Requests Master Plan for North Java Coast Protection
Jakarta (ANTARA) — The Java North Coast Management Authority (BOPPJ) has revealed that President Prabowo Subianto has requested the immediate preparation of a master plan for the protection of Java’s North Coast, known as Pantura.
“The President of the Republic of Indonesia directed us, followed by subsequent directives, to urgently prepare a development or protection master plan for Java’s Pantura,” said BOPPJ Chief Didit Herdiawan Ashaf in Jakarta on Monday.
According to Didit, his agency is collaborating with various parties including relevant ministries and institutions, universities, and subject matter experts to formulate the master plan.
“Our team extends beyond those within BOPPJ — we are working with relevant ministries and institutions, including our colleagues from universities and their experts who have expertise in environmental issues, land matters, maritime affairs, and other related fields, as well as ecosystem and livelihood concerns,” he said.
Prabowo explained that the construction of a giant sea wall stretching 535 kilometres along the Pantura coast is the government’s solution to address sea level rises of approximately 5 centimetres per year caused by climate change.
Prabowo assessed that the threat of climate change is imminent. Furthermore, 60 per cent of the nation’s industries are located along the northern coast of Java.
Productive paddy fields that serve as the national food granary could also be threatened if the sea wall is not constructed promptly.
The giant sea wall project is one of the Prabowo administration’s National Strategic Projects (PSN), designed to protect coastal areas from tidal flooding and the impacts of climate change.
Several phases of the Giant Sea Wall construction will be offered for funding cooperation with partner nations. Project financing will focus on the Public-Private Partnership (KPBU) scheme.
Prabowo explained that the sea wall project, which has been included in the National Development Planning Agency’s (Bappenas) planning since 1995, requires a minimum investment of US$80 billion, equivalent to approximately Rp1,297 trillion.