Save the Country’s Bays

KOMPAS/VIDELIS JEMALI

Ahmad L Maliki (47), a fisherman from Mamboro Village, North Palu District, Palu City, Central Sulawesi, Sunday (28/3/2021), looking at the waters of Palu Bay. In the last two years Ahmad has planted coral seedlings to restore the bay ecosystem. Many corals were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami on 28 September 2018.

The development of a number of provincial capitals in eastern Indonesia has caused damage to the bays where the cities are located.

According to monitoring conducted by Kompas from the end of March to mid April 2021, the bays are seriously damaged due to sedimentation, garbage buildup and reclamation. The damage has disrupted fishing, shipping and disaster management.

People living in coastal areas are now facing a new disaster, namely tidal floods, which are happening more frequently.

The bays affected are Kendari Bay in Kendari city, Southeast Sulawesi; the Palu Bay in Palu city, Central Sulawesi; the Manado Bay in Manado city, North Sulawesi; the Ambon Bay in Ambon City, Maluku; and the Youtefa Bay and Yos Sudarso Bay (Humboldt) in Jayapura city, Papua. For example, the sedimentation in Ambon Bay covers more than 5 hectares a year. The sedimentation is mostly caused by reclamation projects. In addition to damage to the aquatic ecosystem in the bay, people living in coastal areas are now facing a new disaster, namely tidal floods, which are happening more frequently.

According to satellite images taken by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in 1994, the sedimentation in Ambon Bay covered an area of 102.56 hectares. Meanwhile, other satellite images taken In 2007 indicated that the sedimentation had expanded to 168.13 hectares. It means that for 13 years, the sedimentation has increased by an average of 5.43 hectares a year. (Kompas, 12/4/2021)

Also read: Bay Cities Face Silting Impacts

KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS

The flow of the Wanggu River which empties into Kendari Bay brings massive sedimentation as seen on Friday (26/3/2021), in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi. Sedimentation and reclamation over the last few decades have made the bay area of 900 hectares critical.

The environmental impacts of the sedimentation, among others, include the loss or the migration of marine life. Fishermen now have to fish at a place far from the coast because there are not many fish any more around the bay. In addition to sedimentation, tidal flooding is caused by the rise in the sea level due to global warming.

The sedimentation is more severe in several areas in Java, such as the Jakarta Bay and the coastal area of Semarang, Central Java. Not surprisingly, North Jakarta and North Semarang are regularly hit by tidal floods.

Also read: Turning Sorrow Into Blessings

The reclamation, which is known as the source of the problem, has pros and cons. The supporters are of the opinion that the reclamation helps spur economic growth such as in Singapore and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, opponents argue that the reclamation exacerbates sedimentation, which causes the bay to become shallower and disrupts environmental balance.

The government needs to immediately find a comprehensive solution to this problem. No significant measures have been taken to prevent the sedimentation. As the result, in the last 30 years, the sedimentation has become even more severe.

The city government along with the provincial government need to immediately take measures to restore the carrying capacity of the bay areas, where the cities stand and grow. The damage to the bay has brought high economic costs both for the government and residents, especially fishermen. The damage has also affected the environmental ecosystem in the bay, which could further result in the decline in the quality of life for decades to come.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.