Like Venice and Mexico City, the city of Semarang in Central Java is slowly sinking. Rising sea levels as a result of global warming further add to the burden of these cities. In the year 2100, Semarang may have to deal with the additional drivers of river flooding and unmanaged sediment transport including, among other things, from urban waste that is already affecting coastal cities of Central Java.

In Semarang, everyone loses, but the heaviest burden is placed on local poor communities who are probably uninformed about the fact that their city is sinking due to land subsidence. While infrastructure and housing development continue in many parts of the city, including on land subsidence areas, the future may be overwhelmingly surrounded by stories of not only economic, but also sociocultural losses, including a degree of loss of present civilization.

Studies from scientis...