TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Editorial: A seawall for Jakarta

The idea to construct a giant seawall in the northern part of Jakarta certainly deserves commendation as it is designed to protect people living in the city who are vulnerable to and hit hardest by flooding, not only during the rainy season, but almost throughout the entire year, particularly when it comes to high waves

The Jakarta Post
Sat, February 12, 2011

Share This Article

Change Size

Editorial: A seawall for Jakarta

T

he idea to construct a giant seawall in the northern part of Jakarta certainly deserves commendation as it is designed to protect people living in the city who are vulnerable to and hit hardest by flooding, not only during the rainy season, but almost throughout the entire year, particularly when it comes to high waves.

But such a mega project surely needs comprehensive preparation to prevent it from emulating the failed monorail project, whose idle support poles have now become ugly “monuments” throughout much of the city.

Moreover, the giant seawall project will involve a huge amount of money — reportedly billions of US dollars — and its construction will take 10 to 15 years to complete. Therefore, financial resources and strong commitment from relevant parties (the city administration, the central government and their business partners) are vital to making the project a success. Jakarta citizens surly do not want to see the lucrative investment finally sink in Jakarta’s northern sea due to poor preparations.

Deputy Governor Prijanto has said the seawall, if materialized, would serve as a long-term solution to the city’s persistent inundation, including sea rise-induced flooding, which is reportedly a result of global warming. “I don’t want us to think about building [the sea wall] when Jakarta is already underwater,” Prijanto said in a discussion early this week.

The project, conducted by the Jakarta Coastal Defense Strategy (JCDS) with help from experts from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is expected to be completed in 2025. It will span 60 kilometers from Tangerang on the west end of the city to Bekasi in the east. Preliminary studies on the project suggested a number of options, including construction of a seawall beyond the perimeter of the northern coast. Another option is building bridges connecting certain islands in the Thousand Islands regency to the northern part of Jakarta.

Beyond a reasonable doubt, Jakarta is in need of a comprehensive solution to flooding. The annual disaster has not only caused serious problems, but has also inflicted major losses to both the state and the people. The floods have deluged thousands of houses and destroyed private property as well as city infrastructure. Many Jakartans living in the north coastal area have fallen victim to the annual disaster. Without being alarmist, officials have estimated that 40 percent of Jakarta’s land is located below sea level and without proper protection will be washed away if global warming worsens.

Development of a seawall may be pressing, but it should not distract the administration’s focus from many other urgent projects the city currently requires to contain the flooding. Other flood mitigation projects such as river dredging and construction of polders should remain on the priority list to keep the city from disaster.

Meanwhile, the maddening daily traffic congestion will remain a cause for concern and therefore needs solutions. The city administration will have to allocate a huge budget for public transportation as part of comprehensive measures to ease traffic, on top of the money earmarked for the giant seawall.

The seawall project is a noble plan to protect people from the dangers of rising sea levels and land subsidence as a result of seawater intrusion. But cautious assessment is a must, particularly regarding financial capabilities, long before the project kicks off.

 

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.