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Where is megapolitan Jakarta heading with its floods?
Sporadic, partial and incidental efforts implemented so far are insufficient to address the issue.
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A city downstream: A flooded residential area following heavy rains is seen from above on March 4 in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta. (Reuters/Yuddy Cahya Budiman)
T
he recent floods striking the Jakarta megapolitan area were centered in Bekasi, West Java, but had far-reaching impacts, disrupting not only local transportation networks but also broader movement systems, as well as affecting socio-economic activities in other areas.
Recognizing Jakarta megapolitan as a complex and unified ecosystem, understanding and solving its flood problems must be approached comprehensively, systematically and in an integrative way, involving coordination and collaboration between local governments and all relevant stakeholders.
As Jakarta megapolitan, a term that better describes the interconnectedness of Jakarta and its surrounding regions of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi and Cianjur (Jabodetabekjur), continues to develop, flood management solutions become increasingly complex.
Sporadic, partial and incidental efforts that have been implemented so far are insufficient to address the issue.
A brighter hope for solving the problem emerges when the response is comprehensive, systemic and integrative, engaging all stakeholders with authority and interest in the matter. Historical records and various studies have identified two primary causes of Jakarta's floods: Natural and non-natural factors.
Natural factors contributing to floods include heavy rainfall during the rainy season, which causes rivers to overflow, limited water catchment areas and Jakarta's predominantly flat topography, which leads to water stagnation.
Moreover, Jakarta is both traversed by and serves as the downstream basin of several rivers prone to overflowing during peak rainy seasons, such as Mookervart, Angke, Pesanggrahan, Grogol, Krukut, Baru Barat, Ciliwung, Baru Timur, Cipinang, Sunter, Buaran, Jati Kramat, Cakung, Cileungsi, Cikeas and Bekasi (Cikarang Bekasi Sea).
