JAKARTA. National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) almost completes the review on giant sea wall project, which is also known as National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project. Even though the project has not yet been completed, government has confirmed to involve private sector in the project.

Minister of National Development Planning (PPN)/Head of Bappenas Bambang Brodjonegoro said that the private sectors, which will be involved in funding the giant sea wall project, are those who will benefit from the project. “Those who own land along the coast should involve, otherwise, they will suffer losses”, the Minister said.

Unfortunately, Bambang did not specifiy the private sectors, which will benefit from the giant sea wall project in Jakarta. However, the sea wall is surely to fortify the land area of Jakarta with the surrounding sea. The sea wall will be a safeguard for reclamation islands at around of Jakarta Coast.

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Bambang added that Bappenas is reviewing the funding scheme for the project, as well as the scheme for private sector involvement in the mega project. The review is scheduled to complete by the end of October 2016. Subsequently, Bappenas will report the results of the analysis to President Joko Widodo. “The main point of the recommendation is how to save Jakarta. (And) what will we do in the first 10 years, the second ten years, and in the next periods. We will do it in a gradual manner”, Bambang explained.

The construction of giant sea wall is a part of government efforst to cope with land subsidence in Jakarta. The sea wall is important to prevent sea water flowing to the land area of Jakarta, amid the land subsidence.

The result of study conducted by Ministry of Public Works and People’s Housing show that the annual subsidence rates in Jakarta are in the order of 10cm to 15cm. Under this condition, water of rivers in Jakarta cannot flow to the sea. “No river in Jakarta that flows to the sea in a gravitational manner”, said Minister of Public Works and People’s Housing Basuki Hadimuljono.

In order to anticipate the land subsidence, government will formulate some programs to save the environment. Aside of constructing the sea wall, the government will also optimize the operational of Jatiluhur reservoir in West Java to supply water to Jakarta. The government will also construct Karian reservoir in Banten for the similar purpose. The additional raw water supplies from the two reservoirs are expected to reduce groundwater exploitations in Jakarta to control land subsidence in the Indonesia’s capital. “The Karian reservoir is expected to complete in 2019, and may supply water to Jakarta in 2020”, Basuki said. (Translator: Muhammad Farid)