Indonesia Considers Building Giant Seawall

Indonesia is reviving a plan to construct a massive seawall in its latest effort to prevent its capital, Jakarta, from sinking faster.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Erlanga Hartarto, revealed during an event in Jakarta on Wednesday, the latest plan for the seawall project, which will require three construction phases extending beyond 2040.

The cost for implementing the initial two phases is estimated at 164.1 trillion Indonesian rupiah (approximately 10.5 billion dollars), with no mention of the required funding for the third phase.

While the idea has been on the table for over a decade, recent attention has been given to the proposal for building the seawall as Jakarta has become one of the fastest-sinking major cities.

Hartarto explained that the motivation behind reviving the proposal is the rising sea level in the capital, with the sea level increasing by 25 centimeters annually, while tidal flooding increases by 200 centimeters annually.

Jakarta, home to over 10 million people on the island of Java, has seen some areas sink by up to 4 meters between 1997 and 2005, and experts predict that one-third of the capital could be submerged by 2050 if the situation remains unchanged.

Estimates suggest that coastal flooding in Jakarta causes losses estimated at 2.1 trillion rupiah annually, which could rise to 10 trillion rupiah annually over the next decade.

To slow down the sinking and alleviate the pressure on Jakarta, Indonesia has restricted groundwater extraction and is also considering building a new capital in the forests of Borneo under the name "Nusantara."

Indonesia is expected to elect a new leader on February 14, and it is uncertain whether the successor to the current president, Joko Widodo, will continue the massive infrastructure project.

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who leads in voter polls for the presidential election, stated during the launch of the seawall plan, "The problem with the seawall is that it will take about 40 years to complete.

The question is whether political leaders have the focus, thinking, and ability to complete the project until the end. This is our responsibility."