TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) has concluded the Jakarta Bay reclamation study. The study contains technical recommendations ranging from institutional regulations to investment frameworks, environmental aspects, and spatial planning.
According to Bappenas’ regional development division deputy Arifin Rudiyanto, the study results have been submitted to the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. “But before being published, it has to wait [the election of] new Jakarta commander [governor] as the major stakeholder,” he told Tempo on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.
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He explained that Bappenas study on Jakarta Bay reclamation also contains revised spatial planning for the so-called Jabodepunjur area (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Puncak and Cianjur). The revisions cover an integrated land and water spatial planning. Moreover, the revisions regulate the uses of river basins and the spatial planning in the hinterlands of the capital city, including housing development.
The technical recommendations, Arifin added, do not cover the nature of development at the Jakarta Bay. Also lacking in the recommendations is the details on the continuation of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project which also known as the giant sea wall phase A. “We will not yet enter technical discuss on phase A, [the study] only covers the regulations.”
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The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that a study on Jakarta Bay reclamation had long been done by Port of Rotterdam, a company based in the Netherlands. The study shows that failure to conduct reclamation would make Jakarta suffer land subsidence at a rate of up to 7.5 centimeters per year. “[Land subsidence rate] in several areas had even reached 17 centimeters [per year],” he said on February 23.
According to Luhut, the efforts to arrest land subsidence include land reclamation. Failing that, Jakarta will be facing tidal flooding. “Do we want to wait for tidal flooding to occur before we start expressing concern? Who would assume responsibility? We should stop thinking negative thoughts,” he said.
ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI | ALI HIDAYAT (MAKASSAR)
