Assessing Indonesia's Sea Sand Policy and Implications

Indonesia has officially reopened the export of sea sand following the issuance of Minister of Trade Regulation (Permendag) No. 20 of 2024 and Permendag No. 21 of 2024 by the Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan. These regulations are derivatives of Government Regulation (PP) No. 26 of 2023 concerning the Management of Sedimentation in the Sea, which President Joko Widodo signed in May 2023. The release of these regulations marks the official reopening of Indonesia's sea sand exports after nearly 20 years of prohibition by the government.

Amid the public discourse on the pros and cons of sea sand export policies, Mandala presents a brief study on sea sand, its supply and demand in Southeast Asia and beyond, the risks of sea sand mining practices, the impacts experienced by communities, and the lessons learned from these cases.