Prabowo Holds Limited Meeting to Discuss Giant Sea Wall Project

President Prabowo Subianto held a limited meeting to discuss the progress of the giant sea wall or massive sea barrier project. Several state officials were present at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, including the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto; the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono; and the Deputy Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries as well as the Head of the North Java Coast Authority, Didit Herdiawan Ashaf.

“Regarding the giant sea wall, it is still in the planning stage, and we will delve deeper into activities related to the construction,” said Didit Herdiawan Ashaf after the meeting at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Monday, 20 April 2026.

Nevertheless, Didit revealed that no final decision was made in today’s meeting. He stated that the government is still considering when the construction of the massive sea barrier will begin. “Because it relates to the available resources,” he explained.

Didit emphasised the importance of utilising resources alongside environmental protection aspects in the construction of this massive sea barrier. “One of the main things is that we can utilise environmental matters, so we absorb things related to waste,” said Didit.

The government plans to build a sea barrier spanning 535 kilometres from the tip of the Banten coast to Gresik, East Java, in response to the threat of rising sea levels due to land subsidence.

President Prabowo has previously stated that this project can no longer be delayed. He mentioned that the project has been in the National Development Planning Agency’s planning since 1995, during the era of his father-in-law’s government, Soeharto. According to Prabowo, the budget required to realise the project amounts to US$80 billion.