The floodwater had reached her neck when the rescue boat came. Devi Maryani, now 26, was nine months pregnant at the time, and was taken straight to the hospital where she gave birth a couple of days later.

Living by the sea, Muara Baru residents are familiar with seasonal tidal flooding and occasional severe floods. In 2013, the area was swallowed by coastal inundation, which happened to coincide with heavy local rainfall. During that flood, resident Ani Rubianti, 53, said her husband had to dive into floodwater to collect their stuff they could not live without, like their stir-fry pan, when they realized it would take days for the water to recede and they could cook their meals in their shelter at that time.

Now Devi and Ani are happy as there is a new coastal embankment near their house in Muara Baru, Penjaringan, North Jakarta. The new wall is taller and stronger. “I hope the [severe] flooding never returns,” Ani told The Jakarta Post.

An embankment was built a few meters away from the kampung in the early 2000s. However, the 2-meter retaining wall could not contain tidal waves even though it has been made taller several times because of the rapid land subsidence, which can be up to 25 centimeters per year in some parts.

The embankment was frail with some holes that caused seepage from the seawater. Nurrohman, 55, lives in a neighborhood in Muara Baru where parts of the old coastal wall had even collapsed. He was stoic about it. "We can still carry out our regular activities even during severe floods," he said.

The Public Works and Housing Ministry has constructed a new coastal wall in Muara Baru about 50 to 100 m closer to the sea from the old barrier as part of the first phase of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project.

The NCICD’s embankment project follows warnings by experts predicting that more than a quarter of Jakarta’s 662 square kilometers will be submerged in less than a decade unless significant preventive measures are taken.

The reinforcement of 120 km of embankment along the coastal border from Tangerang regency in Banten to Bekasi regency in West Java is a joint project involving the central government, the Jakarta administration and private entities.

Data from the secretariat of NCICD’s Project Management Unit show the ministry and city administration have constructed 9.85 km of river and beach embankment comprising 2.3 km in Muara Baru, 2.2 km in Kali Baru, 3.75 km in Luar Batang and 1.6 km in East Kali Blencong in North Jakarta.

The disbursement for the ongoing 7.5-km dike development in the Kamal River, Muara Karang and Pluit, all in North Jakarta, as well as in Tangerang, is underway by the ministry, city administration and private firms.

Another 27.5 km in North Kamal Muara, West Kalibaru, Muara Angke and Nizam Zachman fishing port in Muara Baru has been included in the upcoming construction plan.

Despite being applauded by many who benefit from it, the new coastal wall is not without flaws. Some locals have reported sea tide seepage dripping out of it even though the wall is new.

The previously dry ground in front of Sari Harun’s house in neighborhood unit (RT) 15, community unit (RW) 17, Penjaringan, has turned muddy due to seawater flowing out of the holes in the coastal embankment. When it rains, the inundation worsens. “It’s never dry,” the 40-year-old woman said.

Despite the holes in the wall, Sari felt grateful for the new wall built by the Jakarta administration.

Responding to the issue, Jakarta Water Management Agency head Juaini, who took office in July, told the Post that he had learned about the reports, saying the agency would prepare for repair in Sulaemansyah’s kampung.

Whatever the flaws, residents such as Nurrohman in Muara Baru welcomed the taller, stronger coastal embankment. "The coastal embankment, both the old and the new one, has helped us a lot," he said.

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