Latest news with #floodprevention
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Indonesia invites foreign stakes in US$80bil seawall
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said he would form an agency to run the giant seawall project. (EPA Images pic) JAKARTA : Foreign investors are invited for Indonesia's plan to build a US$80 billion seawall hundreds of kilometres long to prevent floods along the north coast of its most populous island Java, president Prabowo Subianto said today. The seawall project expands on a 2014 plan by the capital Jakarta's government to protect the city from rising sea levels and land subsidence that have caused frequent flooding along the north Java coast. Prabowo said he would form an agency to run the giant seawall project, stretching from Banten to East Java provinces and which could take 20 years to complete. Officials have said the wall would be about 700km long. 'One of the most vital infrastructure projects, which is a mega project, that we need to do promptly is the giant seawall across the northern Java coast,' Prabowo said in a speech at an infrastructure event. '(Sea) waters have threatened the lives of our people,' he said, citing some towns in central Java. Sea levels along Indonesian coasts rose an average of 4.25mm annually from 1992 to 2024, but the rate has accelerated in recent years due to climate change, according to the country's meteorology, climatology and geophysical agency. Prabowo said he had invited investment from countries such as China and Japan, without elaborating. Experts say Jakarta is sinking due to excessive extraction of groundwater, leading the central government to plan its move to a new capital in the jungles of Borneo island.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Downpatrick flood prevention scheme could cost £20m
A study commissioned by the Department for Infrastructure has recommended building a £20m flood prevention scheme in town was hit by serious flooding in November 2023 when Storm Ciarán brought exceptionally heavy rain to Northern engineers' report suggests a scheme involving culverts, embankments and infrastructure minister said further work would be undertaken to determine whether the scheme would be economically viable. Liz Kimmins added: "Flooding in Downpatrick - and how to reduce that flood risk - is an extremely complex issue with many variables."That is why it was important that a comprehensive study was carried out to inform the most viable and effective way ahead."The study, produced by engineering consultancy Amey, considered 14 possible were reduced to a shortlist of two, which were considered technically preferred option would offer flood protection to 78 businesses and 28 total estimated cost of £22.5m includes maintenance costs of around £2m.A cost-benefit analysis suggests the scheme would prevent flood damage, which would cost around £26m to study cautions that what is proposed is a "complex scheme" and that given the risks and unknowns at this stage, it may become economically unviable as work on the design concludes: "Further investigations are recommended prior to detailed design to mitigate some of these key risks and confirm economic viability through a business case." Analysis: Floods expected to get more frequent and severe by Barra Best, BBC News NI weather presenterHomes and businesses in Downpatrick were left underwater when Storm Ciarán hit in November town centre and surrounding areas suffered severe flooding following weeks of heavy rainfall, with Market Street and low-lying parts of the town particularly hard hit. Floodwater was made worse by high spring tides that prevented the River Quoile from discharging into Strangford Lough, which would have helped lower flood has suffered similar flooding incidents in the past. The commissioned study highlighted the need to protect sensitive habitats around Stangford Lough, as well as archaeological and historic sites in climate change expected to increase the frequency and severity of flooding, the Downpatrick Flood Alleviation Scheme, if it proceeds, could prove a critical step towards safeguarding the town's homes, businesses, and comes after Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said on Thursday that updated legislation for water and flood management would be a "major step forward".The NI Executive has approved bringing the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill to the assembly which, Kimmins said, would help "meet the needs of our growing population and adapt to changing weather patterns".
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bacton sandscaping saves £3 million in flood damage
Six years since a pioneering coastal defence project was implemented on the Norfolk coast, local people say their lives have been transformed with improvements to mental health, tourism and property prices. The £19m sandscaping project was designed to stop Bacton gas terminal from falling into the sea. Enough sand to half-fill Wembley Stadium was dredged and pumped ashore to rebuild the beach. A new study has found it has already prevented £3m of flood damage in the villages of Bacton and Walcott. 'The wind ruled our lives' In 2018, the future of the village of Walcott hung in the balance. With no beach left because of coastal erosion it was at risk of being swept away by the sea. Pauline Porter, chair of the parish council, says people left the village after 70 properties were damaged during a storm and tidal surge in December 2013. "The wind ruled our lives. If there were high tides you stayed close to the village in case your needed to rescue your pets or valuables. It was a way of life."There was no beach. You had a good drop of 12 to 14ft most of the time and as fast as the steps were made longer to reach the beach, the faster the beach disappeared."We used to have three to five flood evacuations a year, but since sandscaping we haven't had one. "Had it not been for sandscaping the village would have been lost under the sea." In 2019, two million cubic metres of sand were dredged and pumped ashore to raise beach levels by up to seven metres. The £19m project was mainly funded by the owners of Bacton gas terminal, which handles a third of the UK's natural gas supplies, with £5m coming from public funds. The sandscaping project has a 15 to 20 year design life. Six years on, the sand has moved up and down the coast as well as offshore, creating a small bar that dissipates the energy of the waves. 'I feared for the business' For years the Kingfisher Cafe could not get flood insurance. Since the sandscaping it can once again. Owner Graham French says he used to wonder if he was going to lose the business."If it had not been for the gas terminal we would not have benefitted from the sandscaping scheme."We now feel we can invest in the business and customers have been coming back." '£3 million of flood damage prevented' A draft report prepared for the Crown Estate has found that between 2019 and 2023 the sandscaping has prevented serious flooding in the villages on at least one occasion, saving £3m in damage to properties. It also concluded that it is likely to have prevented erosion of the B1159, the main access road to the gas terminal. A survey of residents carried out by the University of East Anglia found mental health and investor confidence in the area had improved. The project's designer says it has bought time. Jaap Flikweert from Royal HaskoningDHV says beaches from Mundesley to Happisburgh have built up more than they thought. "We expected the bulge of sand would erode quite rapidly but it has also moved elsewhere." He says the study for the Crown Estate has also put a value on the savings to the nation due to people not being out of work or needing to use the NHS services for poor mental health."In just a few years we estimate it has brought another £3-4m of benefit. It is really good to see that the scheme does its job." 'Nature-based solutions' The man who co-ordinated the project says it is not a solution for all communities fighting coastal erosion. Rob Goodliffe, who is coastal transition manager at North Norfolk District Council, says it has demonstrated the benefits of nature-based solutions to sea level rise."Any scheme has to stack up economically but you cannot necessarily pick this up and drop it into another area."The owners of Bacton gas terminal were approached by the BBC but declined to comment. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CBC
29-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
National report card praises P.E.I. for housing policy, while pointing out some low points
A nationwide report card by the Missing Middle Initiative gives P.E.I. some favourable reviews for its overall approach to housing policy, while flagging some areas where the Island needs to do better — including banning new homes in flood-prone areas. CBC's Cody MacKay spoke to the group's founding director to learn more.
