TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Twenty-eight regional branches of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) had called for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to revoke the government regulation (PP) No.26/2023 on the management of sea sedimentation products. This regulation effectively puts an end to sea sand exports that lasted for the past two decades.

On Wednesday, Walhi Nasional’s coastline and sea campaign manager Parid Ridwanuddin in a meeting held virtually called for a permanent moratorium on sea sand mining and beach reclamation. “Revoke government regulation No.26/2023 on the management of sedimentation at sea and the permanent moratorium on sea sand mining and beach reclamation in Indonesia.”

Parid argued that the government regulation describes the Indonesian government’s true face that likes to prey on the mid-term economic benefit by compromising the sustainability of the coast, sea, and small islands in the long term.

WALHI noted that the issuance of the government regulation is a step backward in the context of the protection and management of Indonesia's coastal and marine resources, including the protection of fishermen's fishing areas which are the main seafood producers.

Coastal communities in Indonesia, he said, are dealing with the adverse impacts of the climate crisis in the form of sinking coastal villages, including the sinking of small islands due to seawater rise.

Meanwhile, the global trend of seawater rise is 0.8 to 1 meter. According to Walhi, as many as 115 small islands in Indonesia's deep waters, and 83 small outer islands (foremost) will sink due to seawater rise.

Sea sand exports were initially banned to prevent environmental damage and the sinking of small islands. The law was introduced after smaller islands in Indonesia’s outer regions at the Riau Islands were starting to disappear due to sea sand mining.

AMELIA RAHIMA SARI

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