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Jakarta to fortify coastal areas to reduce flood risks
Areas bordering on the Jakarta Bay in North Jakarta are under constant threat from the rising sea level and land subsidence. A zero-runoff concept aims to optimize [the flow of] water to designated artificial lakes.
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Children play in a flooded area of Muara Baru, Penjaringan, North Jakarta on Jan. 13. The coastal area suffers land subsidence in addition to rising tidal waves. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso/)
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s residents in Jakarta’s coastal areas have long dealt with regular flooding from both heavy rainfall and rising tidal waves, the city administration plans to implement a zero-runoff concept to minimize flood impacts.
The areas bordering on the Jakarta Bay in North Jakarta were under constant threat from the rising sea level and land subsidence. The zero-runoff concept would optimize [the flow of] water from the runoff in designated artificial lakes, North Jakarta Mayor Sigit Wijatmoko said.
As the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had predicted high tides in the coastal areas for the past week, Sigit admitted the administration had let floods remain for a few hours at some places after heavy downpour on Friday.
“During high tide, it is impossible to pump water from land toward the sea because the water would forcibly get back to the land,” Sigit said on Friday.
“We actually need more catchment areas upstream, so that surface runoff would not need to be hastily pumped to of the sea,” he added.
When high tidal waves coincided with heavy rain, the municipality intentionally let the floodwater remain for some time in several areas of Marunda, Rorotan and East Semper, all located in Cilincing district. However, Sigit claimed, the flooded areas were only in urban forests and the unused grounds of a public cemetery.
He said the municipality had proposed several spots for the expansion of water catchment areas, such as in West Semper in Cilincing as well as in West Sunter and within the Intermediate Treatment Facility (ITF) Sunter compound managed by city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo, both in the district of Tanjung Priok.
