The coastal areas development tends to sacrifice its environment, religious, customary and social functions, and the sustainability of the traditional fishermens livelihood, the environmental NGO said in a press statement here Friday.
It cited the reclamation projects in Benoa Bay in Bali and Jakarta Bay as two bad examples of coastal region development which are not sustainable and only in the interests of private developers.
Greenpeace is also concerned that several activists and local residents who were against Benoa Bay reclamation were intimidated and nearly criminalized.
Another concern of the NGO is a statement by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan on a plan to resume the G Island development which is part of the Jakarta Bay reclamation projects, despite a verdict by the Jakarta Administrative Court (PTUN) last May, ordering the revocation of the Jakarta Governors Decree No. 2238 Year 2014 on permitting the implementation of the islands reclamation by a certain private developer.
Greenpeace Indonesia urged President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to revoke a presidential regulation No. 51 Year 2015 on the Benoa Bay reclamation and privatization.
It also urged the president to issue a policy to completely stop the Jakarta Bay reclamation projects, and to retrieve the ecological functions of the Jakarta Bay coastal area and waters without the reclamation approach.
The settlement of problems concerning the G Island reclamation project that was to be resumed, would abide by existing legal regulations, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung had assured earlier.
"It will continue to be implemented. There is a grand design program. It is heading there, including the settlement of the G Islands problems," Pramono said in his office here Thursday.
Meanwhile, Pandjaitan has cited three points as reasons for his decision to resume the G Island reclamation project on the northern Jakarta coast.
"First, this project is in the national interest and in the interests of Jakarta," Pandjaitan said here Wednesday.
Second, the reclamation is needed for water resources through a dam, according to the minister.
Third, the reclamation is needed to prevent sea water flooding, he stated. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
