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.

Global Warming

Global warming is a condition where temperature on earth surface is rising above normal level due to human activity that produces green house gases and also decreasing of natural mechanism that can balance these gases.

80% of green house gas is coming from Carbon Dioxide (CO2) which caused from fuel or coal or trees powered factory and engines. Every year, the use of energy never reduced, instead it's increasing year by year although there's so many invention low-enery consumption electronic devices and engines (cars).

Earth has experienced last warming period about 120.000 years ago and the temperature is about 4 - 5 degres higher than we experiencing now. At that time, sea level is 600 cm (240 in) higher than now. And as the planet earth orbit cycle turn into a position that further from the sun, earth temperature is decreasing and reach its climax and we call it last ice age. But now, the earth cycle is going to approaching the sun. So global warming is not just human activity to cause that, also caused by earth's orbit cycle itself. It's sooner or later will happen, but due to human activity, it happens faster than any expert expected. I'm not sure when it happen, but once upon a time, the water level on earth is as high as Grand Canyon, and if form the Grand Canyon as you can see now. Can you imagine what happen to human race and other living creature on earth when the sea level is as high as Grand Canyon ? Yes it's like Water world !

The real effect is, as the temperature increases, the ice at both earth poles melts into sea and increasing the water volume significantly. This is a very real thread for country like Indonesia which most of its region is consist of islands, and all surrounded by ocean. As the sea level risen, Indonesia could loose it's island one by one. And big islands, such as Sumatera, Java, Borneo and Sulawesi facing same thread. Most villages nearby the coast line will sunk into the sea, while its inhabitant forced move to higher ground. Cities nearby also facing same fate.

Main sea ports city, such as Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan, all lies across island's coast line will need to build mechanism to protect the city from tidal wave or the tide itself. As we watch on TV or read news, it's common story to see North Jakarta is become water-world.

Bali road map is just the beginning of a chapter where human try to keep this planet inhabitable. Now everyone is talking global warming, saving the forest and energy efficiency, what have you have done today to slow down the warming progress of this vulnerable planet ?