Jakarta's Sinking Nightmare: Groundwater Pumping and a Colonial Legacy

Jakarta, the sprawling capital city of Indonesia, is facing an unprecedented and alarming crisis – it's sinking. While coastal cities around the world are grappling with rising sea levels due to climate change, Jakarta's predicament is unique. This sinking phenomenon has been unfolding for decades, putting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people at risk.

The city's predicament is strikingly evident at the Waladuna Mosque, which now stands in ruins, its once hallowed grounds submerged by sea water. This mosque serves as a poignant symbol of Jakarta's impending catastrophe.

The sinking of Jakarta is not primarily attributed to rising sea levels, although that does compound the issue. The primary cause lies beneath the city's surface – relentless groundwater pumping. To understand how Jakarta ended up in this dire situation, one must delve into the city's history.

Jakarta's roots can be traced back to the 1600s when the Dutch colonizers took control and established Batavia, a city they designed to mirror their Dutch homeland. The city was crisscrossed by canals, both for practical purposes and as a means of segregating the indigenous population. These canals facilitated the flow of trade, acted as defensive structures, and allowed the Dutch to control the locals more effectively.

However, the Dutch colonial legacy had a darker side. Neglected canals and stagnant water became breeding grounds for deadly diseases, disproportionately affecting the local population. While the Dutch enjoyed modern plumbing systems with access to clean water, the indigenous residents had to rely on street vendors or collect water from contaminated canals.

Even as Indonesia gained independence in 1949, this stark division in water access persisted. The native population in informal settlements was often left with no choice but to extract groundwater through wells, unknowingly setting the stage for Jakarta's impending catastrophe.

As Jakarta's population exploded over the decades, the city expanded rapidly, but its water infrastructure remained woefully inadequate. While some areas enjoyed piped water systems, the majority of Jakarta's residents lacked this basic amenity, forcing them to resort to groundwater pumping to meet their daily water needs.

This relentless extraction of groundwater is causing Jakarta's land to sink at an alarming rate. The aquifers, underground rock layers that hold groundwater, are being depleted and compressed, causing the land above to subside. This process has accelerated due to Jakarta's extensive urban development and impermeable concrete surfaces that prevent rainwater from replenishing the aquifers.

The consequences are dire. Coastal areas like Muara Baru have witnessed the compounding effects of sinking land and rising sea levels, resulting in frequent and devastating floods. The situation reached a critical point in 2007 when a severe flood claimed 80 lives.

Today, the sinking crisis is further exacerbated by climate change, which has led to more frequent and severe floods during high tide and rainy seasons. The cost of these natural disasters is felt deeply by the residents, particularly the fishermen who depend on the coastline for their livelihoods.

The Indonesian government recognized the gravity of the situation and initiated a project to build and reinforce seawalls to prevent flooding and halt land subsidence. However, progress has been slow, and a comprehensive solution remains elusive.

To truly save Jakarta from its sinking nightmare, the government must address the root cause – the widespread lack of access to clean, piped water. It's a challenge that other cities in the region, like Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai, and Bangkok, have successfully tackled by providing piped water to their citizens.

As Jakarta faces an uncertain future, its resilience and survival hinge on its ability to provide a sustainable water supply for its people. The legacy of Dutch colonialism still lingers, but Jakarta must chart a new course to secure its place above water in the years to come.