Flood in Jakarta, a constant headache in three centuries - Floods have become synonymous with the living experience of people residing in Jakarta. For hundreds of years, dealing with floods every year has become a part of the people`s life in this city, which was under Dutch occupation from 1619 to 1949, and known as Batavia during that time.
Instead of coming up with a solution to handle the annual flooding of Jakarta, especially during the rainy season, policy makers and hydrologists have been unable to reach a consensus regarding an appropriate solution for this problem. Dutch national Jan Pieterzn Coen built Batavia nearly four centuries ago as a waterfront city, and constructed canals in Jakarta, which were similar to ones in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
"The plan is there, but how can you implement it? It needs support, involvement, cooperation of all stakeholders, despite their personal wishes, desires and interests," Dr Wim Ravesteijn, an associate professor and head of the Technology Dynamics and Sustainable Development at the Technology University of Delft (TUD) in the Netherlands said recently, during a colloquium held by the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) Delft in Jakarta.
Ravesteijn, who has also authored the book, "For Profit and Prosperity, The Contribution made by Dutch Engineers to Public Works in Indonesia" said the problem of flooding in Jakarta required not only the role of technical engineering but also that of engineering policy experts.
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Flood and Jakarta are like two faces of the same coin. According to a Masters student at the Water Management Department at Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE), Kurniati Widyastuti, solutions designed to address flooding in Jakarta should identify the root cause of the problem, which can actually be found in the field.
"The cause of the flooding is very complex, and it can be due to any social, environmental or policy-related reasons, or because of a combination of all three," she said.
Dr Wim Ravesteijn, an associate professor and head of the Technology Dynamics and Sustainable Development at the Technology University of Delft (TUD) in the Netherlands agreed and pointed out that a proposal, which might seem a solution at first, could also create new problems. "What exactly is the problem and who is facing the problem should be carefully noted, because different persons or affected groups have different perceptions," he stated.
Ravesteijn, who has also written a dissertation, titled "The Lords of the Auspicious Waters, Irrigation and the Colonial State in Java, 1832-1942," said he was inspired to write the dissertation by the river Bengawan Solo in Central Java, and also pointed out some of the causes for flooding in Jakarta which can be referenced to find new solutions.
Geographically, around 40 percent of Jakarta is made up of low lying areas, which are prone to flooding, especially during the season of the west monsoon rainfall, which impacts 13 rivers including the Ciliwung and Angke, which cut through Jakarta en route to the Java Sea.
This situation is exacerbated by the widespread deforestation in the water catchment areas, which has reduced the land`s capability of retain any rainwater.
Rapid population growth has triggered other problems such as the need for potable water, and excessive water pumping has lead to land subsidence and the consequent rise in the sea level. In addition to this, drains blocked with disposed waste also restrict the flow of water, which has happened in the instance of the Pluit reservoir, and makes the problem of flooding in Jakarta even more complicated. ( republika )
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