THE SINKING CITY
Jakarta, one of the world’s most heavily occupied cities, is sinking and has been vanishing into the ground for decades now.
As Indonesia’s capital and most populous megacity, Jakarta needs rapid solutions to tackle the problems of land subsidence and sea-level rise.
A recent study stated that, without aggressive effort, around 25% of the capital area will be submerged in 2050
According to specialists at the Bandung Institute of Technology, over 95 percent of North Jakarta will be drowned by 2050.
The major reason for the sinking of Jakarta is claimed to be the excessive extraction of groundwater. Jakarta has low water levels for drinking, bathing and other everyday purposes. Piped water is also not available in most areas so the citizens have to resort to pumping water from aquifers that are deep underground.
THE FALLING RATE
North Jakarta has dropped 2.5 metres in ten years and continues to sink at a pace of up to 25 centimetres per year in some regions.
Jakarta is reportedly slipping at a pace of 1-15 cm each year, with over half of the city already submerged.
CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASES RISK
Climate change is predicted to double the risk, according to researchers.
Sea levels have risen as a result of melting glaciers, putting coastal populations at risk of drowning.
JUNGLE OF CONCRETE
Despite the fact that the city receives enough of rainwater, the water is not well managed because 97 percent of the once-green region has been turned to malls, offices, and apartments.
People are driven to take groundwater from aquifers due to unreliable and expensive piped water supplies, resulting in soil subsidence.
WEAK PLANNING
Jakarta’s foundations have been further weakened by unrestrained expansion, excessive traffic, and poor urban planning, despite its location in an earthquake-prone zone, on swamplands near the confluence of 13 rivers.
ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT
To reduce the impact of the main source of soil subsidence, the Jakarta municipality is attempting to reduce consumers’ groundwater consumption.
A seawall is also being built along the city’s perimeter to protect it from ocean storms.
BRAND NEW CAPITAL
After the parliament enacted a measure in January 2022, Indonesia relocated its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, which is located in the jungle of Kalimantan on Borneo island.
Other Cities throughout the world that are rapidly sinking
- Houston
- Lagos
- Beijing
- Venice
- Dhaka
- Bangkok
- Miami