The average sinking rate across the city is between 0.4 to 5.9 inches annually. This rapid subsidence has resulted in nearly half of Jakarta being submerged under the sea level, posing a significant threat to its future. The primary culprit behind this sinking is the excessive extraction of groundwater.
The Indonesian capital of Jakarta is home to 10 million people but it is also one of the fastest-sinking cities in the world. If this goes unchecked, parts of the megacity could be entirely submerged by 2050, say researchers. Is it too late? It sits on swampy land, the Java Sea lapping against it, and 13 rivers running through it. So it shouldn't be a surprise that flooding is frequent in Jakarta and, according to experts, it is getting worse. But it's not just about freak floods, this massive city is literally disappearing into the ground.
I guess everybody who owns their own home or a business here is kinda totally fucked. The BBC did a pretty good report on this here.
Just click on Nicci to get there...
There is 10 million people on the roads, that city is easily 20 million plus. I'll believe it when I see it , but not a great loss - maybe you just have to start over some times?
ReplyDelete17 years ago an official from Ft. Myers discussed a proposal to run two water systems to consumers. The existing system was to be used for drinking water only. Irrigation, showers, laundry, toilets, etc. would use recycled and desalinated water. GREAT idea. Cost prohibitive maybe?
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