Jakarta (ANTARA) – Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) noted that the construction of sea walls on the North Coast of Java is aimed at maintaining food production.”It also simultaneously maintains food production. Besides protecting the industrial center, we must also consider the protection for numerous food centers, food crops, and agricultural areas from seawater intrusion,” he remarked at the Kick-Off Meeting for the Integrated Coastal Protection Infrastructure for Java's North Coast in Jakarta on Monday.According to him, of the total 1.5 million hectares of rice fields in Java, 115,000 hectares are affected.”We must prevent this. Investment in agricultural modernization, in the form of irrigation modernization, including crop diversification, is becoming more visible,” AHY added.Earlier, the North Java Coast Management Authority (BOPPJ) informed that President Prabowo Subianto has requested the immediate development of a master plan for protecting the North Coast (Pantura) of Java.BOPPJ Head Didit Herdiawan Ashaf stated that his office is collaborating with various parties, including relevant ministries/institutions, universities, and experts, regarding the development of the master plan.According to President Prabowo, the National Strategic Project, the Giant Sea Wall, is ready to be built along the north coast of Java to protect 50 million residents from rising sea levels.Prabowo explained that the construction of a giant sea wall on the Pantura coast is the government's solution to addressing sea level rise of approximately 5 centimeters per year due to the impact of climate change.He believes the threat of climate change is imminent, especially since 60 percent of the national industry is located on the north coast of Java.Productive rice fields, which serve as the nation's food barn, are also at risk if the sea wall is not built immediately.Prabowo emphasized that this step is a form of state responsibility in protecting the people and the nation's strategic assets.Furthermore, the construction of the 575-kilometer Giant Sea Wall on the North Coast of Java is divided into 15 segments, with Kendal, Semarang, and Demak included in the first phase of the project.