1/9/2023 0 Comments The sinking city first case![]() ![]() “In this way we hope to shift private car users to public transport, which will reduce emissions.” “We are also integrating different modes of public transport, so they are more convenient,” Ferry adds. “We will have 100 electric buses operating by the end of the year, and our aim is to have all of our bus fleet electrified by 2030,” says Ferry. As part of this, Jakarta is working towards greening its transport system, and has introduced 30 electric buses so far. ![]() The city is working with C40, a network of cities around the world that has committed to meaningful climate action. The aim is to increase green open spaces from 10 per cent to 30 per cent of the city’s 662 km2 by 2030. Its air quality is poor and the city has committed to build more green spaces, both to boost public health, reduce the effects of pollution and the duration of floods. Of course, Jakarta’s problems are not confined to water. Singapore – which imports 50 per cent of its water from Malaysia – catches rainwater and even recycles sewage, both expensive but necessary strategies. “We can see what is happening in Bangkok, and Singapore,” Ferry says. While Jakarta has its own set of unique challenges, it can look elsewhere in Asia for solutions. The National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project was also launched, although that is under the auspices of the national government. After massive flooding in 2013, a large-scale renovation of the city’s rivers, reservoirs and flood canals took place, with rubbish and debris removed in an attempt to unclog the system. The city authorities are taking action in other areas too. “The city is investing in the supply of water so there is no need to extract water from the ground, and we are also enforcing the law against those who are illegally extracting water.” ![]() “Water is a basic need, and we know that many floods are caused by land subsidence, as a lot of ground water is being extracted,” Ferry says. This can be seen in the informal urban neighbourhoods – or Kampung – which have sprung up around the coast and are most vulnerable to flooding.Īnd it is these most vulnerable communities, many of which are located on the city’s northern coast, that have no access to piped water. Jakarta saw a huge influx of people in the 1960s and ‘70s, and the city’s infrastructure never caught up. “Because we are a city in a delta, we are prone to flooding the water comes from the mountains in the southern part of the city, and tidal waves come from Jakarta Bay in the north, and these are the main threats we face due to climate change,” he says. Less than half the city’s population has access to piped water, and the Illegal extraction of groundwater – both by businesses and the public – has caused subsidence, with some parts of northern Jakarta sinking four metres in the past twenty years.Īnd with sea levels predicted to rise – the IPCC estimates that without a reduction in emissions, global seal levels could rise one metre by 2100 – the Indonesian capital is in a precarious situation.Įnggar Ferry Sugiharto is Head of International Organisation Office in the International Cooperation Office and has been working on the city’s climate solutions for many years. This vulnerability has been exacerbated by man-made issues. Forty per cent of the city is below sea level leaving it exposed to rising sea levels. A prime example of this is the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, which faces myriad threats from flooding and sea level rises to pollution, earthquakes and overpopulation.Ī sprawling city of more than 30 million people, Jakarta sits on a low, flat alluvial plain through which 13 rivers flow, all of which are prone to flooding during Monsoon season. Location, location, location is the estate agent’s refrain, and much the same can be said of cities – where a city is located has a huge influence on its development. Jakarta: The sinking city By Charlotte Owen-Burge | August 22, 2022 ![]()
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