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Exporting sand, thinking of reclamation and maritime boundaries
While concerns over maritime boundaries and sovereignty resulting from sea sand exports appear manageable, environmental issues must be taken seriously.
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A small sea sand dredger operates off the coast of Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) on Nov. 11, 2013. (Shutterstock/Lalu Nursanto)
I
ssues related to the export of sea sand have filled public discourse of late. The policy has sparked protests and even rejection from many parties in Indonesia. Many believe it will only satisfy a few and has nothing to do with improving people’s welfare.
The decision to allow sea sand exports toward the very end of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s presidency only make it even more suspicious.
It is worth noting that the policy is by no means new. It was last year that President Jokowi issued Government Regulation (PP) No. 26/2023 on the management of marine sedimentation. It sparked considerable controversy at the time it was signed.
At the heart of this debate lies a clause that permits the export of sea sand, a practice that had been banned for more than 20 years and has now suddenly reopened, raising many eyebrows.
As much as I understand that the policy can indeed be controversial, it’s important to note that PP No. 26/2023 does not solely focus on the export of sea sand. As the title suggests, the regulation primarily addresses the broader issue of sedimentation management in our marine areas, with sand being just one part of it.
Sedimentation causes shallowing in our waters, which, if left unmanaged, could obstruct marine traffic. The regulation aims to address this issue effectively.
From a technical perspective, the issue of sedimentation must be regularly monitored through bathymetric surveys and mapping, which assess sea depth over time. By comparing surveys and mapping conducted at different intervals, we can identify changes in depth, indicating the extent of sedimentation. This requires specialized knowledge in fields such as geodesy, hydrography and oceanography.
