DKI Jakarta Reminds That Coastal Areas Hold History and Cultural Identity

The Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta has reminded the public that coastal areas are living spaces that hold history, cultural identity, sources of livelihood, and various heritages whose sustainability must be maintained. “Coastal areas are not just geographical spaces connecting land and sea,” said the Head of the DKI Jakarta Culture Office, Mochamad Miftahulloh Tamary, at the Coastal Land Loss Indonesia-UK Hub (CLINcH) forum held at the Maritime Museum in Jakarta on Thursday. However, various coastal regions are currently facing increasing pressure due to abrasion, tidal flooding, land subsidence, climate change, and development activities that impact changes to the coastal landscape. Therefore, the government, together with academics and researchers, is collaborating to share knowledge and find solutions to the phenomenon of coastal land loss in Indonesia, one of which is the Muara Gembong area in Bekasi. “This activity is a concrete example of collaboration between academia, government, communities, and the public in facing increasingly complex coastal challenges,” Miftahulloh said. Through this forum, it is hoped that ideas and recommendations will emerge that are useful for policymaking and strengthening public awareness about the importance of protecting coastal areas. “Hopefully, the collaboration built through this activity can continue and make a real contribution to efforts to protect the coastal environment and preserve Indonesia’s maritime heritage,” Miftahulloh said. On the occasion, researcher from the University of Indonesia, Reni Suwarso, stated that resolving coastal land loss requires collaboration or synergy from various parties. “If it is to be resolved, it must be integrated and synergistic. It is impossible for one institution to solve it alone,” she said. Several solutions proposed include prioritising estuary normalisation dredging, installing wave breakers before mangrove planting, and building a special centre and data centre related to coastal land loss.