President Plans 700-kilometer Giant Sea Wall, IPB University Expert Warns of Environmental Impact

Professor of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science (FPIK) of IPB University, Prof Yonvitner gave a number of notes regarding President Prabowo’s plan to build a 700-kilometer giant sea wall.

He stated that sea walls are needed for abrasion prevention, spatial harmonization, and habitat and settlement protection.

“The only thing to note is that, first, a sea wall does not necessarily mean reclamation. Second, a proper study is needed for the sea wall model. Not always the embankment is in the form of an island or wall, but it can also be a green infrastructure model,” said Prof Yonvitner.

“Sea conditions that have the potential for subsidence and sea level rise must also be calculated,” he said again.

As the Chief of the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies (PKSPL) IPB University, Prof Yonvitner said that the construction of the giant dike will have a number of impacts.

Some of them are disruption to carbon deposits, disruption of access, and negative impacts on ecosystems and fisheries.

The plan is for the 700-km giant dyke to stretch from Banten to East Java. Previously, President Prabowo Subianto also asked his staff to review the construction of a giant sea wall stretching from Jakarta to Cirebon as a National Strategic Program (PSN) in 2025. (dr) (IAAS/RUM)