Public Works Minister: Giant Sea Wall Development Must Be Accompanied by Groundwater Extraction Ban

Semarang, Central Java — Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo has revealed that the development of the Giant Sea Wall (GSW) along Java’s North Coast (Pantura) must also be accompanied by regional regulations prohibiting groundwater extraction by local governments.

“So that has been proven to be the case — using only the sea wall we can resolve the land subsidence problem. But the sea wall alone is not sufficient; there will be regional regulations (perda) for example that prohibit groundwater extraction,” Hanggodo said in Semarang, Central Java, on Sunday (1 March).

According to him, the decline in groundwater levels (land subsidence) is primarily caused by excessive groundwater extraction, not extraction by ordinary households. Whilst households extract water in small quantities, hotels and industries extract groundwater in very large volumes.

“That will subsequently be prohibited. That is what will be bridged by, among others, the North Coast Authority (BOPPJ). Therefore, what BOPPJ is currently doing is considered insufficient. So later the sea wall will extend even further into the ocean and be even larger,” he said.

Hanggodo added that the purpose of the sea wall development, in addition to protecting the Pantura region, is also to convert seawater into fresh water that can be supplied to surrounding cities.

For information, BOPPJ has revealed that water from the GSW retention reservoir can be utilised for raw water or clean water for the community.

BOPPJ Head Didit Herdiawan Ashaf stated that the retention reservoir is intended to become fresh water in the future.

Regarding the utilisation of water from the retention reservoir, he continued, it will be regulated by respective local governments along the Pantura, not by BOPPJ.

President Prabowo Subianto previously stated that the National Strategic Project of the Giant Sea Wall is ready to be constructed extending along the Pantura to protect 50 million residents from rising sea levels.

Prabowo explained that the development of the 535-kilometre giant sea wall along the Pantura is the government’s solution to address rising sea levels of approximately 5 centimetres per year due to the impacts of climate change.