Why Does Jakarta Need the Giant Sea Wall?
In recent years, Jakarta has been plagued by frequent floods amid peaks in the rainy season as » infrastructure
and water management is not adequate, resulting in the temporary
relocation of tens of thousands of people in January (peak of
Indonesia's rainy season). However, the problem is even more
complicated. Jakarta is sinking at a rate of between 7.5 and 14
centimeters per year due to deep groundwater extraction in combination
with pressure from high-rise buildings in Jakarta, thus jeopardizing the
well-being of future generations, or, at least necessitating the
migration of more than four million people as the northern part of the
city will be gradually submerged by the sea if no immediate action is
taken (the total population of Jakarta numbers around ten million
people). In fifty years’ time, the sea level is expected to be three to
five meters above Jakarta’s street level. By 2025, increased flooding
from rivers is expected as most rivers will stop discharging under
gravity to the sea.
The National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) Masterplan
The NCICD includes the construction of a
giant sea wall just northern of the bay in Jakarta as a measure to
protect the capital city against floods from sea. Inside this wall large
lagoons will be created to buffer outflow from the 13 rivers in Jakarta
(a giant pumping reservoir). This giant sea wall will be built in the
form of a Garuda (the large mythical bird which is Indonesia's national
symbol) and therefore will become an iconic structure (see picture at
the top of this webpage). It will take 10 to 15 years before
construction of this wall is realized. In the meantime, existing dikes
will be strengthened.
In order to make this masterplan more
attractive for private investors, the surface of the giant sea wall will
become a center of urban development. Private participation is needed
as this USD $40 billion project cannot be financed by the Indonesian
government alone. Urban development includes upmarket offices and
housing as well as low-cost housing, green areas and beaches. The new
integrated city will also involve 17 artificial islands, complete with
toll roads, a railway, and seaport, and should be able to absorb
approximately two million people. As Jakarta is currently overcrowded
and its infrastructure inadequate, this masterplan will relieve pressure
on the existing city. The length of the giant sea wall may reach 32
kilometers (from the city of Tangerang in the west of Jakarta to
Jakarta's Tanjung Priok harbour).
Therefore, the two phases of the mega-project are:
A. Strengthen and enhance the existing
coastal dikes along 30 kilometers, and construction of 17 artificial
islands in the bay of Jakarta. The groundbreaking of this first phase
was conducted in October 2014.
B. Giant Sea Wall; a giant dike (32
kilometers-wide) which includes an airport, harbor, toll road,
residential area, industrial area, waste treatment, water reservoir, and
green areas, on a space of about 4000 hectares.
Involved Parties
The NCICD masterplan is a joint project
between the governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands (the
feasibility study for the NCICD was largely financed by the Dutch
government). The NCICD project is led by a consortium headed by
Witteveen+Bos (main contractor) and Grontmij, with subconsultants
KuiperCompagnons, Deltares, Ecorys and Triple-A.
The USD $40 billion project will be
jointly financed by the Indonesian government, the local Jakarta
administration and private investors. How much each party should
contribute has not been decided yet. Tenders for the project have not
opened yet as the government is still studying the technical aspects of
the project (including integration with other projects such as the » mass rapid transit and the Jakarta Outer Ring Roads).
Jakarta Propertindo has been appointed to coordinate the reclamation of the 17 artificial islands.
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