Dutch expertise sought for Indonesia's sea wall project

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia expressed hope that the Netherlands will support the realization of the giant sea wall project along 500 kilometers of Java's northern coastline, which is estimated to cost US$80 billion.

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Anindya Novyan Bakrie stated that the Netherlands has a proven track record spanning more than five centuries in managing sea walls, delta planning, and public-private partnerships in water infrastructure financing.

"This project is not merely a mitigation against floods and land subsidence. This is also a change to shape Indonesia's new engine of growth," Bakrie noted in a meeting with the Dutch Vice Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Michiel Sweers, and the Dutch economic mission in Jakarta on Monday.

Construction of the giant sea wall is one of the main strategic initiatives led by President Prabowo Subianto.

This project is considered crucial, given the urgent need to address coastal issues in Indonesia, especially along the North Coast of Java (Pantura), which is prone to tidal flooding and the severe impacts of climate change.

At the International Conference on Infrastructure (ICI) 2025 in Jakarta on June 12, the president stated that the giant sea wall project, stretching 500 kilometers along the north coast of Java, from Banten to Gresik, East Java, requires US$80 billion in construction funding.

According to the head of state, building the giant sea wall is expected to take up to two decades. He also announced plans to form a special institution, the North Coast of Java Sea Wall Authority Agency.

"If the sea wall reaches East Java, (the project) might take 20 years or 15 to 20 years. It is no problem. There is an old saying 'a journey of one thousand kilometers begins with a single step.' We will start that immediately," Prabowo stated.