Prabowo to Build Giant Sea Wall from Banten to Gresik, Project to Take 20 Years

President Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed his commitment to begin construction of a giant sea wall along the northern coast of Java. The large-scale project is projected to stretch from Banten to Gresik, East Java, and is estimated to require around 15 to 20 years of construction.

The commitment was conveyed by Prabowo in his speech on the delivery of the 2027 State Budget Bill (RUU APBN) and Financial Note at the Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, Jakarta, on Friday, 14 August 2026.

On that occasion, Prabowo expressed his desire for the northern Java coastal protection project to begin realisation during his administration. He acknowledged that construction of the massive infrastructure would likely require more than one presidential term.

“I do not know which president will inaugurate it, but I am determined that the 8th President will start this project,” said Prabowo Subianto.

Prabowo considers the construction of the giant sea wall an urgent necessity given that the northern coast of Java faces the threat of rising sea levels. According to him, the construction of protective infrastructure should not wait for a disaster to occur first.

“We must also build a giant sea wall, a large embankment to secure the northern coast of Java. This is absolutely something we must do; let us not wait for disaster to strike. We must learn from other countries. The Netherlands built long-term protective infrastructure without waiting for a disaster. The giant sea wall in the Netherlands now protects millions of Dutch residents and has become a symbol of the Netherlands’ national technological capability,” said Prabowo.

The government, Prabowo said, wants to make the giant sea wall not merely an embankment to hold back seawater, but also part of the development of the Pantura region. The infrastructure is expected to provide protection for the public while supporting economic activity and clean water needs.

“Our giant sea wall on the northern coast of Java must be built immediately and become a protective belt for millions of residents of Java’s Pantura. To save tens of thousands of hectares that have already begun to sink due to rising seas,” said Prabowo.

“In addition, our giant sea wall on the northern coast of Java must become clean water infrastructure, must become a new growth corridor, and an engineering project that builds the capability of the nation’s children,” he asserted.