Indonesian Student Association: Reclamation an Obsolete Idea  

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-A number of students of Indonesian Student Association (PPI) in the Netherlands consider that the planned reclamation of Jakarta Bay and construction of giant sea wall by Jakarta administration as a coastal defense as obsolete ideas. It was revealed in a discussion titled “Jakarta Bay Reclamation” held by PPI in the Netherlands at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Saturday, June 18, 2016.

For developed countries, such as the Netherlands, hard infrastructure-based approaches of land reclamations and giant wall constructions have long been abandoned. Curiously, Jakarta reclamation project and giant sea wall project have been assisted by a Dutch company and consultant.

“I’m courious as to why are Dutch consultants and experts suggest giant sea wall to overcome Jakarta flooding issue, when the Netherlands itslef has abandoned conventional concepts of hard infrastructure such as giant wall construction and land reclamation,” said a doctoral student from University of Twente, Hero Marhaento.

He said that Dutch coastal defense is using beach nourishment, the process of dumping sand from elsewhere onto a shoreline vulnerable to abrasion, not by building giant wall in the middle of the sea. In addition, Dutch flooding mitigation effort is carried out by taking down the existing river embankments and replacing them with ‘Room for the River’ concept.

The two methods are proven to be less expensive, more effective and environmentally friendly compared to the hard infrastructure-based approaches. Hero explained that developed countries have realized that humans cannot be relied upon to carry out coastal defense by hard infrastructure.

He said that coastal defense approach by giant wall and reclamation can create new problems in the future. “If land reclamation is carried out, mangrove forests around Jakarta Bay will be degraded and vanished. Whereas mangrove forest is a natural coastal defense that can prevent abrasion,” Hero said.

Jakarta administration needs to truthfully explain the main purpose of the projects. “Is it to overcome tidal flooding or for property expansion? If it wants to overcome tidal flooding, the solution is not by building giant walls and land reclamation,” he said.

A film titled ‘Rayuan Pulau Palsu’ (Fake Island Sweet Talks) produced by WatchDoc were screened before the discussion. The film, directed by Randi Hernando, is about fishermen in Muara Angke who have to face investors wanting to expand property business through reclamation in Jakarta Bay.

EGI ADYATAMA