Jakarta Turns to Dutch Experts for Sea Dike Plan

Jakarta Globe, Dofa Fasila, September 14, 2011

The Jakarta administration is receiving help from the Rotterdam authorities in preparing a master plan for a massive sea dike that will help the capital deal with its perennial flood problems.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, speaking after receiving the Dutch technical assistance team, said preparations for the plan would take about nine months.

Completing the plan, he added, would likely take two years, and implementing it would take at least a decade.

“We hope this project can proceed, and not be delayed, because it will really determine the future of Jakarta,” Fauzi said.

The Indonesian team spearheading the endeavor will also involve the Public Works Ministry and the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), Fauzi said.

The same team completed a study, the Jakarta Coastal Defense Strategy, in May. The study foresees the need for the giant sea wall to be built off the coast of Jakarta by 2025.

The massive sea wall, besides helping Jakarta cope with flooding, will also fortify the city’s water supplies, long a problem in the capital, Fauzi said.

“The emphasis in the building of this giant sea wall as part of the Jakarta Coastal Sea Defense project is not only to safeguard the northern coastline of Jakarta but also to make use of this project in an integrated manner for the future benefit of the city,” Fauzi said.

The giant sea wall, he said, will also serve as a reservoir to collect water from several rivers running through Jakarta.

“It is planned that water from 13 rivers in Jakarta ... will in the future not just be left to flow into the ocean. We will collect the water within the giant sea wall so that it can become a primary source of water for the city. This is in the long term,” Fauzi said.

To deal with a possible water shortage while the wall is being planned and built, Fauzi said city authorities would accelerate a pipeline plan to link Jakarta with the Jatiluhur reservoir in Purwakarta, West Java, and plan a desalination plant. The governor has previously referred to the plant a decades-long project.

The pipe network from Jatiluhur, the desalination plant and the reservoir formed by the giant sea wall would buttress the city against floods and protect it from water shortages, Fauzi said.

The giant wall has become increasingly urgent as land subsidence in Jakarta has worsening while sea levels have risen, he added.

Officials in Rotterdam, home to one of the world’s largest ports, have substantial experience in protective construction. Sitting below sea level, the city is built mostly behind dikes.

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Dutch to help build dikes in Indonesia

Ministry eyes desalination technology to mitigate potential water crisis

The Jakarta Post,  Sun, 09/04/2011

The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has developed sea water desalination technology to convert sea water into fresh water to cope with the possibility of a water crisis.

“Making mineral water from the sea is a strategic step in anticipating the possibility of a clean water crisis in the future,” Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said on Saturday, as reported by kompas.com.

The desalinated water could be a pivotal shift in fresh water supplies. The process could also produce salt.

According to the ministry, Indonesia has several potential locations where this technology could be developed. The areas include Nusa Penida and Gondol in Bali, Lombok Strait in West Nusa Tenggara, Biak Island in Papua and Pelabuhan Ratu in West Java.

Around 70 percent, or 5.8 million kilometers, of Indonesian territory is comprised of water.

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Rp 1t Port Planned for Remote West Papua

Jakarta Globe, Faisal Maliki Baskoro, July 26, 2011

The proposed $118 million West Pacific Port in West Papua
would have  a capacity 30 times greater than the existing
Sorong Port. (JG Photo/Yudhi Sukma Wijaya)

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State port operator Pelindo II plans to start building a new port in Sorong, West Papua, as soon as next year, as part of government efforts to reduce logistical and shipping costs to the remote eastern region.

Richard Joost Lino, president director of Pelindo II, said on Tuesday that the company had formed a consortium with major shippers including Samudera Indonesia, Meratus Line, Salam Pacific Indonesia Lines, and Temas Line to build the port, which will cost Rp 1 trillion ($118 million).

“Pelindo will act as the leader in the consortium, and we will contribute 30 percent [of the cost],” he said. “We will put the project up for tender [for contractors] later this year while construction will start early next year.”

West Pacific Port, which will replace the existing Sorong Port, will be able to handle 750,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) once it is completed in 2013, Richard said.

Sorong Port can handle 25,000 TEUs, while cargo traffic to the region averages 700,000 TEUs a year, he said.

West Pacific Port, Richard added, would also serve as a regional port for traffic to and from Papua New Guinea and the Bismark Islands, East Timor, Darwin in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The new port is also expected to halve distribution costs to Papua, he said.

Pelindo II operates 12 seaports across the archipelago, including the busiest, Tanjung Priok, in North Jakarta.

Analysts have said that Indonesia must boost the development of infrastructure such as roads, airports and seaports to create more jobs and achieve its target of 7 percent economic growth by 2014.

Juniman, an economist at Bank Internasional Indonesia in Jakarta, said the government’s plan to build the port in Papua was the right move to reduce bottlenecks in shipping.

“The project will help create jobs and boost economic growth,’’ he added.

Pelindo II is also bidding on the rights to operate a new port in Jakarta.

It signed a Rp 11 trillion loan with Bank Mandiri, the country’s largest lender, on Tuesday. That standby loan would be used to finance the first phase of its North Kalibaru Port project in North Jakarta, if Pelindo were to win the rights to build the port.

The Transportation Ministry has not yet closed the tender for the project, which will cost an estimated Rp 20 trillion.

“The new port is vital because the busiest port in Indonesia will exceed maximum capacity this year, and this will cause higher logistic costs and longer loading and unloading times,” Richard said.

North Kalibaru Port would add between 4 million and 6.5 million TEUs of cargo capacity to Tanjung Priok Port — which has a maximum capacity of 5 million TEUs.

Richard said the North Kalibaru facility, which would span 3.5 square kilometers and include an oil and gas terminal, could be completed in 2017.

Pelindo posted a 30 percent increase in profit last year to Rp 1.2 trillion and, according to Richard, is on track to meet its target of Rp 1.6 trillion in profit this year.

Dutch to help build dikes in Indonesia

RNW, 6 July 2011

The Netherlands is to help with plans for a 36-kilometer dike around the Indonesian coastal city of Jakarta to protect the city from flooding.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ben Knapen has set aside 4 million euros in development aid for the project and two Dutch experts will be sent to help develop the plans. The dike will be build two kilometres into the sea so that land can be reclaimed for urban development.

“This investment in a master plan to protect Jakarta from the sea is a good example of the new development policy in which Dutch knowledge and skills can made a difference,” says Deputy Minister Knapen.

Jakarta is regularly hit by flooding. In 2007 large parts of the city were inundated by several meters of water. At least 18 people drowned and around 300,000 people become homeless. The economic damage was huge; the airport had to be closed as a result. Pumps have been installed as a short term solution and the road to the airport has been raised.

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U.S. donates patrol boats to RI national police

Antara News, Fri, June 3 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The U.S. Departments of Justice and State recently delivered two boats to the Indonesian National Police as part of the Indonesia Maritime Security Project (MARSEC), The U.S. Embassy here said in its official website on Friday.

The two boats increase to 19 the total number of boats provided to Indonesia as part of the MARSEC program. The patrol boats are deployed throughout the archipelago to assist Indonesia in securing vital maritime borders, sea lanes, natural resources, and ports.

In the first year of operation, the U.S.-provided boats seized over $10 million USD in contraband and continue to be an integral and effective component of Indonesia`s maritime security efforts.

Currently, the patrol boats are deployed in Batam-Riau, Sumatra; Bangka Island Straits, Balikpapan; Tarakan, Kalimantan; Bitung, North Sulawesi; Sorong, Papua; and Ternate-Sofia, North Maluku.

The United States Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program`s (ICITAP) mission in Indonesia is to support the development of the operational and organizational capacity and competencies of the Government of Indonesia`s law enforcement agencies.

ICITAP is funded by the U. S. Department of State`s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and provides organizational development interventions, technical assistance, training, and equipment donations to augment Indonesia`s law enforcement efforts.

ICITAP support helps the Indonesian National Police continue its transition to a professional democratic law enforcement organization utilizing internationally accepted law enforcement standards and practices.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Govt aims to produce 4,000 qualified sailors a year

Arghea Desafti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 05/25/2011

The Transportation Ministry has announced plans to produce 4,000 sailors annually to meet increasing demand.

“We are currently producing 1,500 [graduates] a year from our state-owned sailing academies [STIP]. Hopefully we can increase the number of graduates to 4,000 next year,” Transportation Ministry Education and Training chief Bobby Mamahit said Wednesday at a discussion on improving the quality of human resources in the transportation sector.

Ministry data reveals that Indonesia will require at least 43,800 new sailors over the next five years.

The ministry is currently operating sailing schools in Jakarta, Tangerang, Semarang, Makassar, Surabaya, Barombong and Serang.

“One of the challenges we face is that we are still seeing graduates preferring to work for companies overseas rather than here in [Indonesia]," Bobby said.

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Minister, ambassador launch Coral Reef and Climate Change Guide

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 05/20/2011

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad and Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty on Friday launched the Indonesian version of the University of Queensland’s publication Coral Reefs and Climate Change: A Guide for Education and Awareness.

Fadel, working in collaboration with the University of Queensland, had arranged for the book to be translated into Indonesian.

“Australia is widely recognized for its world-class research in environmental sciences. We are pleased that through this book we will be able to contribute and work together in conserving the beautiful reefs of Indonesia,” Moriarty said in a release received by The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The book aims to increase awareness of coral reef science and preservation. It includes recent scientific research with informative images and covers topics including oceanography, coral reef biology and the implications of climate change.

It provides practical tools and recommendations to chart and measure the health of coral reefs and a program to encourage public involvement in reef conservation.

The original publication was launched in Australia in November 2009 and was produced and published by the Coral Watch Foundation at the University of Queensland.

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South Korea eyeing Sunda Strait bridge project

Antara News, Otniel Tamindael, Thu, May 19 2011

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - As the sixth largest investor in around 1,400 projects in Indonesia at present, South Korea also has an interest to invest in the construction of Sunda Strait bridge.

With cumulative investment of US$3.35 billion over the past 10 years exuding oil, gas, and banking sectors, the country is also eyeing other infrastructure projects in Indonesia.

"South Korea is interested in a number of infrastructure projects in Indonesia, including Sunda Strait bridge development," Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa said in Jakarta on Thursday.

Speaking after a coordination meeting to discuss ways to overcome traffic congestion problems in several Indonesian major cities, the economic minister said South Korean interest in infrastructure projects in Indonesia was discussed at his meeting with the country`s Economic Minister Choi Joong Kyung in Bali on Wednesday.

It was in Bali on Wednesday that the governments of Indonesia and South Korea signed nine memorandum of understandings (MoUs) on investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Signed by the two countries` senior government officials and business representatives, the MoUs covered cover partnership agreements in the fields of of among others technology, textiles, machinery, maritime, aerospace, defense and solar photovoltaic.

According to Hatta Rajasa, the business partnership agreements could make Indonesia as South Korea`s main overseas investment hub in the world.

He said the MoUs included hydroelectric power plan projects in Lampung province, shipyard collaboration between Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marnie Engineering and PT Dok & Perkapalan Kodja Bahari to build projects for vessels and offshore facilities.

In addition, Hatta said that the South Korean economic minister also expressed his country`s support to the implementation of the Indonesian Economic Development Acceleration Master Plan (MP3EI). Hatta said.

"At the meeting, South Korean economic minister expressed his country`s support to the implementation of the Indonesian Economic Development Acceleration Master Plan (MP3EI)," Hatta said.

According to him, Choi Joong Kyung was specifically sent by South Korean president to Indonesia to discuss what projects to be undertaken.

"Specifically the country conveyed its interest to participate in the development of Sunda Strait bridge, and the country wanted it to be considered," Hatta said.

He added that South Korea was probably interested not only to be the contractor of Sunda Strait bridge project but also the other ones.

"But we have yet to come to term, just the interest to participate in the projects," Hatta said, adding that the value of investment in the projects reached around US$20 billion.

Earlier in February this year, Hatta said that of the total $20 billion investment plans, $12 billion was already in the pipeline while the remaining $8 billion remained to be discussed.

Some South Korean companies that have expressed commitment to investing in Indonesia are among others Hankook Tires US$1.2 billion investment plans to build tire production plants, Lotte Groups US$5 billion petrochemical factory in Banten, East Java, or in Kalimantan, as well as electronics giants LG and Samsungs estimated US$500 million to US$1 billion investment to expand their businesses in Indonesia.

The South Korean investment plans are part of the Indonesian governments efforts to raise funds in the process of realizing the 2011-2025 economic master plan.

Indonesia is really South Korean main overseas investment hub and therefore many more companies from the country have made commitment to investing in various sectors in East Java, South Sulawesi.

Earlier this month six South Korean companies made commitment to investing a total of of US$52 million in East Java which was formalized in memorandum of understandings (MoUs) singed by their heads before before East Java Governor Soekarwo and Gyeongsangnam-Do Governor Kim Do Kwan.

The six companies from South Korea are Bo-Kyung, C02 Byo, PT Leader Music, PT Seong Dong Abadi, PT Agro Deka Industri, PT Mitra Lestari Hanjaya.

Bo-Kyung, a company engaged in the footwear industry, is to invest US$15 million in Bangil, Pasuruan district.

PT Leader Music would invest US$2 million in the music instrument industry in Mojosari, Mojokerto district.

Also in Mojosari, PT Seong Dong Abadi is to invest US$ 10 million in the chemical industry.

PT Agro Deka Industri with an investment value of US$2 million is to operate in an agricultural industry in Bangil, Pasuruan, while PT Mitra Lestari Hanjaya would invest around US$20 million.

Soekarwo said six more companies from South Korea would also invest in East Java later and the memorandums of understanding was signed when he visited Seoul last April 5-7, 2011.

While in Makassar, South Sulawesi, South Korea`s PEM Korea Co.Ltd also plans to build a polyethylene pipe plant on two hectares of land at Makassar industrial estate in June this year.

PEM Korea Co. Ltd. President Director Jin Hwan Ho signed a cooperation agreement for the construction of the plant with South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo at the gubernatorial residence in Makassar on Monday, May 16, 2011.

"In the first phase of the project, we will build two production lines to meet demand in South Sulawesi and neighboring provinces. Later we will develop them into four lines that we project will be able to meet demand in the eastern part of Indonesia," Jin said.

He said PEM Korea Co.Ltd. would team up with two local companies -- PT Hanwoo and Bahana Cipta -- to build the plant which would cost US$5 million to US$10 million.

Editor: Aditia Maruli

Govt To Offer 7,000 Jobs At Int`l Marine, Fisheries Fair

Antara News, Otniel Tamindael, Sat, May 14 2011

Jakarta,  (ANTARA News) - The government will offer at least 7,000 job opportunities in the marine and fishery sector to job seekers at an upcoming International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries (I`JO F.M 2011).

As part part of the government`s effort to reduce unemployment and to improve the people`s welfare, the I`JO F.M 2011 will be held in Jakarta May 23-25, 2011 to net as many workers as possible.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said here early this week that many countries had expressed their interest in recruiting Indonesian sailors in overseas marine and fishery related industries.

"Following increasing demand for Indonesian sailors from many countries, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) will make a new breakthrough to accommodate the request," Fadel said on Wednesday.

The maritime affairs and fisheries minister admitted that during his visits to Europe, many shipping companies had told him that they needed a lot of Indonesian manpower for their cruise ships.

Fadel said many countries in Europe needed more Indonesian sailors because their own people were no longer interested in seafaring jobs.

According to him, there were a lot of job opportunities abroad for Indonesian sailors and therefore his office would make a breakthrough by creating a cross-ministerial program in the form of International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries (I`JO F.M 2011).

The minister explained that his office in cooperation with Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, National Education Ministry, and Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry would organize the I`JO F.M 2011.

Meanwhile, head of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry`s Department of Human Resources Development, Syarief Widjaya, said the I`JO F.M 2011 would be the biggest event this year.

Syarif said the event would be participated in by at least 50 leading national and international companies in maritime and fisheries fields, such as fishing companies, fish farming companies, marine and fisheries product processing companies, labor recruitment agencies and other companies.

The International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries will be a perfect event for job seekers, marine and fisheries related education and training promotion, consultation, job applicants interview, direct recruitment for job applicants, and for opportunity to go abroad.

Syarif also explained that the national and international leading companies in the I`JO F.M 2011 would provide the Indonesian job seekers with around 7,000 job opportunities.

He said various job opportunities were among others in the fields of fishing, aquaculture, and fishery products processing and marketing would be offered to around 30,000 people who were expected visit the international job fair.

Other sectors to be offered to the job seekers in the fair are coastal regions and small islands management especially the area management and conservation of marine tourism, captains, the crews, vessel mechanics, and chefs, fish packing or canning officers, and fisheries shipping transportation services.

In a bid to arrange and manage the increasing overseas demand for marine and fisheries related manpower from Indonesia, Syarif said the government would soon build a marine manpower office.

"The joint marine manpower office is supported by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, National Education Ministry, and Transportation Ministry," Syarief Widjaya said.

He said the joint marine manpower office, expected to permanently organize the International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries every year, would be declared at the closure of the I`JO F.M 2011.

Besides, he added that the office of the cross-ministerial cooperation would also provide Indonesian job seekers in marine and fishery field with information about job opportunities.

He also said a lot of Indonesian sailors were working abroad at present in the fields of shipping sector, fishery management industries, and aquaculture.

Therefore Indonesian Seamen Association (KPI) Secretary Sonny Pattiselano said the government should consider the protection and safety of Indonesian sailors who were working abroad.

Sonny also highlighted the gap between domestic legislation and international policy, and said that there should be well integrated consolidation rules.

"The involvement of labor union in industrial relations in the maritime and fisheries sector should also be taken into account," Sonny said.

According to maritime affairs minister Fadel Muhammad, around 12,000 Indonesian men are currently working on board various ocean liners across international waters.

"There are around 12,000 Indonesian workers on board both domestic and foreign ships which sail across international waters at present," Fadel said in an economic-related dialog on April 12, 2011.

Fadel admitted that he obtained the data about the number after a hijacking incident of an Indonesian ship with 20 crews by Somali pirates in March.

The minister explained that thousands of Indonesian sailors spread in various regions in Asia and Europe.

According to the minister, there were around 2,000 Indonesian sailors in Spain, 600 in Taiwan, and 400 in Thailand, and 3,000 in Japan.

Therefore he said the sailors had been asked to form an association amongst Indonesian seamen.

"I have asked them to form the association and to remain getting in touch with with Indonesian embassies abroad," Fadel said.

Meanwhile, data from Transportation Ministry in 2010 indicated that the Indonesian sailors working abroad could generate foreign exchange to about one billion dollars per year. 

US Agriculture Under Secretary visits seafast facility

Antara News, Thu, April 7 2011

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Bogor, W Java (ANTARA News) - US Agriculture Undersecretary Michael T Scuse and his delegation visited the Southeast Asian Food and Agricultural Science and Technology Center (SEAFAST) in Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Thursday to observe the facility.

The US agriculture delegation`s visit in Bogor was to observe the research infrastructure at the facility, Scuse said here Thursday.

"So the main purpose is to see the SEAFAST facility, and see how the researchers work, " he said.

Scuse also expressed his amazement at the completeness of the facility`s equipment.

Scuse also said Indonesia and the US had a comprehensive partnership which gives an opportunity for cooperation to assist people`s welfare programs.

IPB SEAFAST Center head Purwiyanto Hariyadi said that Michael Scuse`s visit would open better and broader opportunities fot agricultural cooperation in the future.

"Further, the assistance needed will be more in the form of capacity building, agricultural student and researchers exchanges, and many more forms," he said.

According to the US Embassy to Indonesia`s Senior Information Specialist Public Affairs Section Indar Juniardi said that Michael Scuse was appointed as the USDA Acting under Secretary for the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) by the US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on April 2009.

Scuse`s main task is to handle programs within the FFAS`s mission scope, where the FFAS is appointed to broaden and form a new market for American products, increase US agriculture competitive position also to provide technical assistance and food grants abroad.

Scuse had bee the chairman of the Association of State Agricultural Department in the northeast region, and during his tenure he managed to eradicate the avian flu virus with the help of the University of Delaware and local poultry industries.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Timor Leste interested in buying Indonesia-made ships

The Jakarta Post, Associated Press, Antara | Wed, 03/23/2011

Leste is interested in buying fast patrol boats produced by Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL and has asked Indonesia to provide an export credit for the purpose.

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said at the presidential palace after accompanying President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a meeting with visiting Timor Leste Primer Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao here on Tuesday that Timor Leste would buy two FPB boats each worth around US$20 million.

"They discussed it just now and the government is ready to provide an export credit through Indonesia`s export financing body. The price is about US$20 each and they (Timor Leste) have ordered two units," he said.

Besides fast patrol boats Timor Leste was also interested to increase military cooperation especially in the field of training by sending its officers to participate in Indonesia`s National Defense Institute (Lemhanas), Staff and Command College (Sesko) and Defense University (Unhan).

"(They) wish to increase military cooperation and military education. They wish to participate in Lemhanas, Sesko and Unhan. We have so far also received participants from other countries," he said.

Besides Timor Leste a number of countries in Southeast Asia have also been interested to buy Indonesia`s strategic industry products such as the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.

Purnomo said the Philippines had expressed its interest in landing platform dock (LPD) ships which could accommodate helicopter and be used for transporting troops and in natural disaster handling operations.

Malaysia meanwhile has ordered ANOA tactical vehicle produced by arms industry PT Pindad while South Korea has ordered CN 235 aircraft produced by PT Dirgantara Indonesia, Purnomo said.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao would be in Indonesia until March 25. Besides meeting with President Yudhoyono he was also scheduled to give a lecture at state University of Indonesia and attend an international defense convention here.

Australia donates 3 patrol boats to RI to curb people-smuggling

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/16/2011

The Australian government will donate three patrol boats worth a total of US$5 million to Indonesia to help tackle the issue of people-smuggling through Indonesian-Australian waterways.

"The high-speed patrol boats will be placed in a number of strategic locations in Indonesia,” Australian Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said on Wednesday after meeting with Indonesian National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta, tempointeraktif.com reported.

The three boats are currently being worked on by an Australian company in three different locations: Perth, Australia, Vietnam and Singapore.

Australia also donated $4.8 million to upgrade equipment and facilities at the Indonesian National Police's cyber crime center.

Rotterdam mayor in Jakarta to help

RNW, 8 February 2011, By Michel Maas

(Photo: RNW/Michel Maas)

The Mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, is visiting the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The two cities have signed a cooperation agreement for water management, but can Rotterdam's good intentions overcome the enormous problems facing the Indonesian port?

The mayor and his entourage are watching a small dredger pushing a mountain of thick black sludge and unidentifiable waste in front of it. A bucket scoops sludge from the water. The show is part of a project which doesn't seem to be making much impact. So much rubbish has accumulated under the bridge on which the bucket grab is standing that a dam has been created.

The dredging project is one of those in which Rotterdam is involved. It's not making any headway because there is no budget. Apparently that often doesn't appear until halfway through the year. No one in the mayor's group understands how this can be possible, but it seems that's the way things work here: Jakarta can do nothing without the government, the city services can do nothing without a budget. "The system needs to change" remarks Mayor Aboutaleb, but there is nothing Rotterdam can do to help with that.

Dry feet

The mayor has just signed an agreement under which Rotterdam is committed to work with Jakarta on water management. "Rotterdam can do a lot for Jakarta. We have a great deal of expertise with water." And expertise is much needed in Jakarta.

Mayor Aboutaleb is given a tour of the northern area, where the city meets the sea. The ground is visibly sinking: at the rate of seven centimetres a year. It won't be long before large parts of the city are under water.

He compares the situation with the Netherlands of 1953: after the flood everyone in Rotterdam was persuaded of the need for good seawalls. "Dry feet are a must. I see people in Jakarta are now aware of that. Dry feet are topic number one!"

Brick wall

The dredgers are part of the dry feet initiative. They will be used to clear out Jakarta's choked up canals and ditches in order to solve another water problem. Every rainy season parts of the city are flooded because there is nowhere for the water to go.

There are no seawalls to be seen and the dredgers stop working as soon as the mayor and his entourage are back on the coach. Ahmed Aboutaleb sighs "sometimes I have the feeling I'm up against a brick wall". Two days in Jakarta and the mayor seems close to despair already.

Then there is Jakarta's massive traffic problem. With no public transport and a desperate lack of roads, the city is in danger of coming to a complete standstill. On Sunday the mayor had an opportunity to spend plenty of time in a weekend traffic jam himself.

Religious background

But Aboutaleb is adamant: "Rotterdam can do a lot for Jakarta". Jakarta's governor, Fauzi Bowo, acknowledges that. Rotterdam is giving his officials training courses and Rotterdam is also giving Jakarta a foot in the door in the Netherlands, in Europe if you look at the broader picture. "We can't finance our projects ourselves. But we can talk to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Union." He may not expect much of Rotterdam but every bit of help is clearly welcome.

Mayor Aboutaleb has another lesson for the Indonesians. The Netherlands is always described there as "the land of the windmills". Then there's the colonial history. And Geert Wilders. "At dinner they asked me what it was like being mayor of Rotterdam with my name and religious background. But in the Netherlands you can be given opportunities no matter where you were born."

He is opposed to the image of the Netherlands "elsewhere in the world, including here in Indonesia" as a country slipping into a deep pit of racism. "It's absolutely not true. I think it's important for someone like me to tell his story on a regular basis."

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Jakarta sinking fast in wake of construction boom

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 02/07/2011

A recent study concluded that land subsidence in Jakarta accelerated at an alarming pace in the past four decades, and if no remedial measures were taken, the northern part of the city could sink below sea level in the next decade.

Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) researcher Heri Andreas said the persistent inundation of North Jakarta would only get worse in the future.

“Several areas in the northern coastal region of Jakarta will subside by 60 centimeters by 2020. In 2050, the area could sit 2.2 meters lower than in 2008,” said Heri, who is also a member of the Jakarta Coast Defense Strategy (JCDS).

Heri predicted that if no action was taken to mitigate land subsidence, flooding and high tides would contribute to 5,100 hectares of land in North Jakarta being submerged in 2020 and another 6,000 hectares in 2050.

A worst-case scenario, however, put the figures at 16,200 hectares in 2020 and 18,100 hectares in 2050.

“In this scenario, the northern coast of Jakarta could be 2 meters under water by 2020 and 6.9 meters under water by 2050,” Heri said.

Global sea levels have risen at a rate of about 1 to 2 millimeters per year on average, and this rate is expected to increase to 5 millimeters per year by 2050.

A recent study by ITB showed that the sea level in the Jakarta northern coastal region rose at a rate of 5.7 millimeters per year.

The most recent finding by the JCDS showed that around 40 percent of land in Jakarta was already below sea level.

Given the finding, the JCDS predicted that within between the next 10 to 20 years, 50 percent of the city would lie below sea level.

The JCDS data also showed that between 1974 and 2010, the Muara Karang area in North Jakarta had sunk 4.1 meters. West Cengkareng in Tangerang had sunk 2.5 meters in the same period.

The Daan Mogot area in West Jakarta and Ancol in North Jakarta sank 1.97 meters and 1.88 meters respectively in the same period.

Between 1974 and 1982, land subsidence rates were not as significant as today. The problem became worse after the region saw a construction boom in property and industry.

A number of dikes constructed by the city, including in Muara Angke, Muara Karang, Pluit, Cilincing and Marunda, are no longer capable of holding back the water that has increased rates of land subsidence.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo recently admitted that the city was sinking at an alarming rate.

“We have no other choice but to construct a new embankment in Jakarta Bay,” Fauzi said.

He said the city needed a giant seawall to protect the capital from flooding, but added that construction could only begin in 2025.

The construction of the seawall is a joint project run by the city administration and the JCDS, which is funded by the Dutch government.

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Jakarta to Build Sea Wall

Tempo Interactive, Friday, 04 February, 2011

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Researchers from Jakarta Coastal Defense Strategy (JCDS) Consortium recommended that the Jakarta Government build a giant sea wall to manage floods. The sea wall will extend 60 kilometers from Tangerang, Jakarta up to Bekasi. “The construction is made possible because the technology has been applied in New Orleans, US,” said member of the JDCS Consortium, Heri Andreas, last Tuesday.

The sea wall was recommended to manage two big threats causing frequent flooding in Jakarta, which are ground subsidence by 10- centimeters per year and the rise of the sea level by 5 millimeter per year. The construction of the sea wall along the North coast of Jakarta is judged to be effective in reducing the threats.

Heri admitted sea walls were not the only way to manage the floods. Another method would be to stop ground water usage and refilling it back. But total stoppage would be unlikely because it is one of the main sources of water.

Even though there are plans to a water refilling plant at the Jatiluhur dam area, the Jakarta Government is still not ready to do this. “By reducing ground water intake, the ground will still subside by 10 to 15 centimeters per year. Even if we refill the water, the ground will still subside in 5 years time,” said Heru,” Meanwhile the danger of rising sea levels cannot be solved because it is caused by global warming.

Heri said that the government has tried to solve the problem partially by building embankments in Kamal Muara and other sites. But it is still regarded as insufficient.

RENNY FITRIA SARI | ENDRI K

Maritime International Training Center to be Built in Pangkep

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 13 January, 2011 

TEMPO Interactive, Makassar:A Maritime International Training Center to be built in Pangkep this year will be luxurious and world-class, Saggaf Saleh, the South Sulawesi Manpower and Transmigration Office chief said in Makassar yesterday. 

The construction project located in Mandalle sub-district is valued at Rp300 billion. The building will be equipped with supporting equipment for the training. “We will have complete facilities to prepare our manpower to work overseas,” he said. 

The training center will have a dormitory with 1,000 rooms for the trainees. The project is fully funded by the state budget and is expected to be completed by 2013. “We are prioritizing the quality, not the quantity,” said Saggaf. 

Instructors will also be flown in from the Netherlands, while local instructors will be sent to the Netherlands to improve their skills. 

The Takalar Regency previously submitted documents for the building’s construction however, as the land administration was not arranged until the end of 2010, the government relocated it to Pangkep. “It is ready there and close to Makassar,” Saggaf said. 

Until 2010, there were 4,850 people from South Sulawesi working overseas, mostly in Malaysia. 

According to Saggaf, most South Sulawesi workers are hired as domestic workers or work at cocoa and palm oil plantations. “The technical workers are usually sent to Brunei to work in the oil sector,” he said. 

In Saudi Arabia, he continued, around 160 people from South Sulawesi were employed as drivers, cleaners and domestic workers. “We are thankful there are no problems with abuse such as the Sumiati case,” Saggaf said. 

This year, another 150,000 workers will be added in South Sulawesi. Therefore, he said, the province needs investors to create job opportunities. 

ABD AZIS