Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, has chosen Jakarta, located on the island of Java, as its capital since the country gained independence from the Netherlands in 1945. Over the years, Jakarta, in a country of over 17,000 islands, has experienced significant growth and, like many developing world capitals, has attracted a large portion of the country’s population. The central population of Jakarta exceeds 10 million, while the city and its suburbs have a population of over 32 million.
While facing issues common to developing world capitals, like traffic and pollution, Jakarta is also grappling with a more critical problem: sinking.
Why is Jakarta sinking?
According to research published in Nature, many cities worldwide on five continents are facing severe land subsidence. In this study, which looked at the extent of relative land subsidence, Jakarta ranked at the top of the list. The subsidence in Jakarta is so severe that a large part of the city will be uninhabitable by 2030 and subject to constant flooding.
Two main reasons contribute to this trend. The first is climate change, which particularly threatens coastal cities. As global temperatures rise, more polar ice and frozen water reserves on Earth melt, flowing into the seas. This causes sea levels to rise, submerging parts of coastal areas worldwide. Many of the world’s population now live in coastal areas, making them increasingly vulnerable to displacement. For a country like Indonesia, this process is accelerated.
However, land subsidence is the more pressing issue, visible everywhere on Earth, including in Iran. The stability of the surface on which cities and villages are built depends on the strength of the underlying sediment layers. Much of this stability comes from underground aquifers, which act as cushions that hold the ground above them in place. However, with population growth and unsustainable development, the need for more water resources has increased, often leading to the extraction of groundwater reserves.
As these underground aquifers are emptied, the base that supports the ground erodes, causing the surface to sink. The problem is that even with rainfall or water injection, once land subsidence occurs, restoring the underground aquifers to their original state is challenging. The collapse of these aquifers means that additional water input cannot accumulate, leading to further destruction and flooding that poses an even greater danger to the city.
On the path to sustainable development?
Recognizing the subsidence issue, the Indonesian government has long planned to move its capital. The goal is to gradually establish a new city in Nusantara, an area known for being a primary habitat for Indonesia’s exceptional orangutans. This area is now set to become Indonesia’s new capital. However, the capital relocation is intended to be part of a broader project to achieve sustainable development.
Indonesia’s strategic plan 2045, which includes capital relocation, aims to eliminate extreme poverty by 2035 and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The plan also emphasizes building the new capital based on sustainable development principles, aiming to prevent the issues Jakarta faces. The new city is expected to be built on a sponge-like structure capable of storing water and preventing it from sinking.
However, this plan also comes with significant environmental costs. Deforestation, road and infrastructure construction, and encroachment on the habitats of endangered plant and animal species will be necessary. Some worry that the claim of sustainable development in building the new city might not be feasible given the tight timeline for relocating the capital.
Jakarta is one of many capitals to undergo or plan a relocation. Previously, Brazil chose a newly constructed city as its capital, and Egypt is currently working on a new city to replace its current capital, Cairo. Moving the capital from Tehran has been discussed several times in Iran but still needs to be solved.
Jakarta’s story again highlights the stark reality that environmental degradation and increasing pressure on natural resources and structures are not minor issues, as some politicians might claim. If ignored, these issues can lead to significant crises. While Indonesia faces the challenge of relocating its capital, a country like the Maldives may lose its entire existence due to rising sea levels caused by climate change.