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Government to prioritize Riau Islands’ eroded coasts
The government will use technology to shield the vulnerable coasts.
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A lighthouse on Putri Island, Batam, Riau Islands. The archipelagic province is among those that are vulnerable to erosion. (JP/Fadli)
T
he government is to install sediment trap technology on several of the outermost islands of Riau Islands regency to rehabilitate erosion-affected areas in the region.
The sediment trap will be combined with the use of breakwater technology to further mitigate worsening coastal reduction.
According to the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister, at least three islands, namely Bengkalis, Rangsang and Rupat, experienced an average of 10-meter erosion per year.
The erosion was the result of economic activity, such as the clearing of mangrove trees to be turned into house construction materials or charcoal. Mangrove trees, however, can protect shorelines from the ocean’s waves by trapping sediment through their tangled root systems.
To address the issue, the ministry will also create alternative jobs for residents, such as shrimp and crab cultivation.
“The quality of shrimp and crabs in the region is extremely good, so why don’t we breed them on a large scale to improve the community’s welfare?” said Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan on Tuesday.
Luhut also gave assurances that the erosion had not affected the country’s territorial boundary. “We will have our sea marked by boundary coordinates,” he said.
