Last week, EcoShape and NL2120 joined the Dutch trade mission to Indonesia to accelerate the adoption of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for coastal resilience along Java’s vulnerable north coast. With sea level rise and widespread land subsidence, the need for sustainable and inclusive coastal protection is more urgent than ever.
President Prabowo has announced plans for a Giant Sea Wall. Yet, rather than relying solely on hard infrastructure, Dutch and Indonesian partners are working closely to develop nature-based approaches that aligns with natural processes and support local communities.
Through the Building with Nature Indonesia project, EcoShape already demonstrated how these solutions can work — using sediment trapping and mangrove restoration to reduce wave energy and rebuild coastal ecosystems. These solutions not only protect people and nature but also enhance the livelihoods of fishing and aquaculture communities that might otherwise be displaced behind high dikes.
During the mission, Alex Hekman, Jasper Leuven, and Joni Trio Wibowo presented the NbS approach, drawing on lessons from both the Netherlands (NL2120) and Indonesia (BwN Indonesia), and shared new ideas for scaling these solutions along Java’s north coast.
A well-attended round table with key stakeholders from PU, BAPPENAS, and others explored opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and implementation, organized by Joost Noordermeer and Thomas Westhoff. In Semarang, these discussions continued where also the ongoing landscape proposition work for Demak was discussed further in a round table setting led by Divya Gunnam.
Want to dive deeper? Yus Noor, Director of Wetlands International Indonesia, shared a powerful op-ed reflecting on the potential of NBS in hybrid engineering approaches:
“Building with Nature, Not Against It” – Read it on Kumparan
Let’s continue to scale expertise in Nature-Based Solutions and contribute to a resilient, inclusive future for Indonesia’s coastlines.
