Rethinking Coastal Spatial Planning Through Equity: Evidence from Semarang and Dutch Water Governance

Abstract

Indonesia's coastal cities, particularly Semarang, face an unprecedented convergence of land subsidence (100-120 mm/year), sea-level rise, and inadequate spatial planning integration. The Semarang City Spatial Plan (RTRW 2011-2031) and the ambitious Giant Sea Wall project—a 500+ kilometer infrastructure initiative spanning Java's northern coast—represent major policy responses to this crisis. Yet their implementation reveals critical gaps between stated objectives and actual outcomes. This systematic literature review draws on 47 peer-reviewed studies published in SINTA 1-4 and Scopus-indexed journals to investigate how spatial planning has been implemented in Semarang's coastal zones. The analysis examines both the stated objectives and actual consequences of the seawall project as documented in official government planning materials, while paying particular attention to impacts on fishing community access to marine resources. To identify potential governance alternatives, the review incorporates comparative insights from Dutch water management approaches, particularly the Room for Rivers program and polder water board governance systems. Findings reveal a persistent mismatch between inclusive planning rhetoric and exclusionary implementation practice. The sea wall project, while protecting industrial zones and commercial interests, has externalized flood risks to informal fishing settlements and restricted traditional access routes to fishing grounds. Comparative analysis with Dutch water governance models—which emphasize meaningful stakeholder participation through waterschappen (water boards), adaptive delta management, and livelihood protection mechanisms—highlights critical governance gaps in the Semarang approach. The review identifies seven critical implementation gaps and recommends governance reforms toward inclusive coastal zone management aligned with both Dutch best practices and Sustainable Development Goals 6, 13, and 14.