Monday, February 11, 2008

Jakarta's Flood : Regular Visitor

This planet's climate now changing to a state that our planet has never facing before. As the human population increases, thus there will require more resources also cause more waste that might lead instability of planet metabolism, in direct or indirect way.

One of the hot topic is global warming. And as it goes warmer, it also lead to climate instability, some are extreme. This anomaly, makes weather harder to predict.
There are heavy snow in northern hemisphere, while other part of the earth facing extreme heat and in same time, some places has drained out of water, but the capital city of Indonesia has over supply of rain water and has no where to drain to. At least none at this time.

Flood of Jakarta is not a new story, but it's been a regular visitor. But the big issues is it now becomes more often. As many years ago, historian recorded that Jakarta is flooded in 1930s. Then it has never experience that scale of flood until 1996. Then to hid the real thread, official said the event only occur every 5 year. As predicted, in 2002 and 2007 there is big flood in Jakarta with more than 60% city's surface is covered by flood water. But this 5-year cycle doesn't last long. As the weather goes more extreme, and lack of master plan to overcome the problem, now flooding in Jakarta is about regular ritual.

Its nature maybe cause of heavy rain fall and tidal.
But it's our fault to build the city by omitting the nature characteristic of Jakarta. Some conservative area is now become housing area. We are more likely to develop Northern Jakarta as waterfront city more than its natural function as tidal prevent support system. And southern part, supposes support to preserve rain water now become mountain-view rest area with hundreds of villas and bungalow.

Of course I'm not a saying this as a person who capable to change it. I just feel sorry for a big country's capital where 90% of country's economical activity done here.
As more often this natural strikes that causing economical lost and accessibility, sooner or later, people will think again to set company in Jakarta or headquartered in Jakarta. This is the natural way to decrease city's stress and it's a good direction in term of environmental view. But in the world driven by economical, this is disaster. Sooner or later, if this situation get worse, people will abandon this capital city.

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