Prabowo Vows to Commence Giant Sea Wall Construction on Java's North Coast

President Prabowo Subianto has stated his determination to begin construction of the Giant Sea Wall along the northern coast of Java during his administration, given that the project will require a long time to complete, with projections of up to 20 years.

Prabowo said that the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has produced technological breakthroughs that will be used for the construction of this massive seawall project.

“The Giant Sea Wall project will take 15 to 20 years to complete. This is a long time. I do not know which president will inaugurate it. But I am determined that the Eighth President will start this project,” Prabowo said during the Government’s Introductory Statement on the Draft Law on the 2027 State Budget and its Financial Note in Jakarta on Friday.

Prabowo added that the construction of the Giant Sea Wall is planned to be divided into 15 segments from Banten Province to Gresik, East Java.

If the construction is carried out simultaneously, he believes the completion of the entire project could be reduced from 20 years.

“Whatever happens, we must be brave enough to start. This concerns the livelihoods of tens of millions of our people living along the north coast,” the President stressed.

He emphasised that the construction of the Giant Sea Wall aims to secure the northern coast of Java.

“This is absolutely something we must do. Let us not wait for disaster to strike,” the President said.

He said that Indonesia also needs to learn from other countries such as the Netherlands, which built long-term protection infrastructure without waiting for a disaster.

The Giant Sea Wall in the Netherlands, Prabowo explained, now protects millions of Dutch residents and has become a symbol of the Netherlands’ national technological capability.

“Our Giant Sea Wall on the north coast of Java must be built immediately and become a protective belt for millions of residents of Java’s north coast, to save tens of thousands of hectares that have already begun to sink due to rising sea levels,” the President said.

Furthermore, the President stressed, the Giant Sea Wall on the north coast of Java must also become clean water infrastructure, a new growth corridor, and an engineering project that builds the capabilities of the nation’s people.