March 20, 2025
JAKARTA – Coordinating Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that he had received orders from President Prabowo Subianto to kick off the construction of a giant sea wall along the northern coast of Java.
Agus said the massive infrastructure project would be key to dealing with land subsidence and flooding in the area, particularly in Jakarta and other major cities along the northern coast of Java.
“The President has given us the task of making preparations and implementing the work in the construction of the giant sea wall to protect coastal areas from inundation, abrasion and land subsidence problems,” Agus said, as quoted by Antara.
Agus said the land subsidence problem along the coast was severe and that land sinking along the northern coast of Java was occurring at a rate of between 4 and 10 centimeters a year.
The minister claimed the government could save billions of dollars in disaster mitigation expenditure over the next 30 years if the coast could be free of inundation problems.
President Prabowo has been promoting the construction of the giant seawall since he became defense minister under the administration of his predecessor, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Prabowo has suggested the project could cost up to $60 billion.
According to estimates from environmental watchdogs and researchers, the giant seawall megaproject would result in some Rp 207 billion (US$13.3 million) in economic losses in the fisheries sector each year through the disruption of crucial marine ecosystems.