Coordinating Minister AHY: North Java sea wall to be combined with mangroves

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) has stated that the construction of a sea wall along the North Coast (Pantura) of Java will be combined with mangrove planting as a nature-based solution. “The problem of flooding is not just about upstream or downstream issues, it is also about downstream, which we are strengthening through a hard infrastructure approach,” said AHY in Bogor City, West Java, on Friday. According to him, the construction of a giant sea wall is necessary to anticipate flooding problems caused by rising sea levels. He noted that every year, the Pantura region of Java experiences land subsidence of 5 to 20 centimetres due to tens of millions of people extracting water from the ground. To address this, the government is currently working to build a giant sea wall along the Pantura coast of Java, which stretches more than 500 kilometres, in a phased manner. AHY said the construction of the giant sea wall will also be accompanied by the planting of mangroves, which act as a natural barrier against the sea. “We are designing the construction of a sea wall in addition to the coastal embankment. And we are combining it with mangroves because this is a nature-based solution. Mangroves are also very effective when combined,” AHY said while inaugurating the ‘Ayo Muliakan Sungai’ (Let’s Honour Rivers) movement. Previously, AHY revealed that the government is finalising the design of the giant sea wall. “Indonesia is finalising the plan to build a Giant Sea Wall as part of a broader coastal protection agenda, primarily in the Pantura region of Java. This step is not just about providing physical protection, but also about safeguarding the pulse of community life, protecting livelihoods, and ensuring the sustainability of the social and economic ecosystem in coastal areas,” AHY stated. He said climate change has become a real challenge facing Indonesia. Floods, landslides, extreme weather, and the threat of rising sea levels and land subsidence in several coastal areas require measured and long-term mitigation measures. According to him, the project opens up wide opportunities for international collaboration, ranging from coastal engineering, coastal protection and sea barrier technology, operation and maintenance systems, to joint research and development.