Two memorandums of understanding on the second phase of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) suggest the project is moving ahead, though details remain sketchy.
The Public Works and Housing Ministry has signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) on the second phase of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) with Dutch and South Korean partners.
A statement from the ministry made available to The Jakarta Post, however, did not detail what the second phase entails. The ministry’s website also contains no detailed description of Phase 2.
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono explained that the NCICD project would prevent coastal flooding and land subsidence, with some parts of the capital, especially near the northern coast, sinking by up to 12 centimeters a year. The problem had also caused a water supply crisis, he added.
Basuki first signed an MoU with the Dutch Water Infrastructure Management Ministry in New York, followed by a second one on June 27 with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) during his trip to South Korea.
“KOICA-K-Water is a key partner to the ministry. Indonesia needs the technical skills and the support from South Korea,” said Basuki, adding that the teamwork was based on “old friendship”.
In the initial phase, the ministry is reinforcing 20.1 kilometers of embankment to protect the most vulnerable areas. The ministry already finished the first 4.5 km last year and will continue the project with both the Jakarta administration and the private sector getting involved. This will protect Jakarta until 2030, experts involved in the project believe.
Older documents, however, show that the second phase will include the construction of an outer sea wall, which will close the Jakarta Bay and turn it into an artificial lake. The statement made no mention of the cost for Phase 2, nor who would finance the project.
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