Torrential rains have once again submerged Greater Jakarta, leaving a trail of devastation that has claimed lives, including that of a toddler in South Jakarta, and displaced thousands from their homes. This week’s floods, among the worst in recent years, have exposed the region’s chronic vulnerability to natural disasters, compounded by decades of unchecked urban development and inadequate planning. In Bekasi, a satellite city east of the capital, floodwaters reached up to three metres in eight of its 12 districts, paralysing communities and infrastructure. The recurring tragedy raises urgent questions about governance, environmental stewardship, and the region’s preparedness for a future shaped by climate change.
A City Under Water
The scale of the flooding in Greater Jakarta this week has been staggering. In Bekasi, the Bekasi River overflowed, with its embankment failing to contain the deluge. At the Mega Bekasi Hypermall, located near the river, shoppers were trapped for hours as muddy water inundated the ground floor on Tuesday. Across the region, homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure have been submerged, disrupting daily life for millions.
Bekasi Mayor Tri Adhianto described the floods as having “paralysed” the city, drawing parallels to similar disasters in 2020 and 2016. While such cyclical flooding is not new to the region, the mayor’s apparent resignation to these events as inevitable underscores a deeper failure to address root causes. Greater Jakarta’s flooding crisis is not merely a product of nature’s wrath but a consequence of systemic issues—rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, and poor urban planning—that have long been ignored. 
The Ciliwung River, which stretches 120 kilometres through Bogor, Depok, Bekasi, and Jakarta, is emblematic of these challenges. The river’s catchment areas have deteriorated alarmingly over the years. According to the Citarum Ciliwung River Basin Management Agency (BPDAS), areas classified as “critical” or “very critical” have increased dramatically. In Megamendung and Cisarua districts of Bogor, for instance, land deemed critical rose from 63 hectares in 2013 to 4,600 hectares classified as “very critical” by 2018. This trend, mirrored in the river’s central and downstream regions, has heightened the area’s susceptibility to flooding.
Urban Sprawl at a Cost
Bekasi, once a patchwork of agricultural and suburban landscapes, has transformed into a hub of retail and commercial expansion. Property agency Colliers Indonesia notes that the city, now home to 2.5 million people, has seen a boom in shopping malls, including one of Southeast Asia’s largest, which opened in March. While these developments fuel economic growth, they have come at a steep environmental cost. Vital catchment areas, essential for absorbing rainwater and mitigating floods, have been paved over to make way for concrete jungles.
The absence of green spaces in Bekasi and other parts of Greater Jakarta exacerbates the flooding crisis. Urban areas with insufficient permeable surfaces struggle to manage heavy rainfall, leading to rapid runoff and overwhelmed drainage systems. This problem is compounded by the region’s rivers, including the Ciliwung, which have been degraded by pollution, encroachment, and overexploitation of groundwater—factors contributing to land subsidence. Jakarta, already sinking at an alarming rate, faces a dual threat of flooding from above and rising sea levels from below.
Climate change adds another layer of complexity. Higher-intensity rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events are becoming the norm, straining infrastructure that was not designed for such conditions. Without significant intervention, the challenges posed by climate change will only intensify, leaving millions of residents at greater risk.
Governance and Accountability
The flooding crisis in Greater Jakarta is as much a political issue as it is an environmental one. For years, regional and national leaders have grappled with finding sustainable solutions, often falling short of meaningful action. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has pledged to coordinate with leaders across Greater Jakarta to devise a comprehensive strategy, but the scale of the problem demands intervention at the highest level. President Prabowo Subianto, who has championed the idea of a Giant Sea Wall (GSW) along Java’s northern coast to protect against tidal flooding and coastal erosion, must prioritise a broader, multi-faceted approach.
The GSW project, while ambitious, is not a panacea. Estimated to cost millions of dollars and take decades to complete, it addresses only part of the problem—tidal flooding—while largely ignoring the inland deluges driven by poor urban planning and river degradation. Moreover, urban subsidence, a significant contributor to Jakarta’s sinking, is not solely a natural phenomenon. It is accelerated by man-made factors such as uncontrolled development and excessive groundwater extraction, issues that require immediate and targeted action.
Critics argue that relocating the capital to Nusantara, a planned city in East Kalimantan, as proposed by the government, sidesteps rather than solves the crisis in Greater Jakarta. The region remains Indonesia’s economic and administrative heart, home to over 30 million people across its metropolitan area. Abandoning it to recurring floods is neither practical nor equitable.
Pathways to Resilience
Addressing Greater Jakarta’s flooding crisis demands a unified approach that balances immediate relief with long-term sustainability. While grand infrastructure projects like the GSW have their place, more accessible and cost-effective measures must be prioritised in the interim. Relocating vulnerable riverside settlements, restoring critical catchment areas, and enforcing stricter zoning regulations are essential first steps. Controlling land subsidence through sustainable groundwater management is equally urgent.
Green infrastructure offers a promising avenue for mitigation. Expanding urban green spaces, creating rain gardens, and rehabilitating rivers can enhance the region’s capacity to absorb and manage rainfall. Such measures, while not as headline-grabbing as a sea wall, are vital for building resilience against both flooding and the broader impacts of climate change.
At the heart of any solution lies the need for collaboration. The central government, regional administrations, and local communities must work together, guided by scientific expertise and a shared commitment to protecting vulnerable populations. Civil society and environmental groups have long called for greater transparency and accountability in urban planning decisions, urging leaders to prioritise public welfare over short-term economic gains.
A Future on the Brink
The floods that have inundated Greater Jakarta this week are a stark reminder of the region’s fragility. Each year, the same scenes of submerged streets, displaced families, and overwhelmed infrastructure play out with disheartening regularity. Yet, behind the headlines lies a deeper story of governance failures, environmental neglect, and a rapidly changing climate that threatens to outpace the region’s ability to adapt.
If reforms are implemented effectively, there is potential to mitigate the worst impacts of flooding and build a more resilient Greater Jakarta. However, without concerted action, the region risks becoming a cautionary tale of what happens when development is pursued at the expense of sustainability. As rainfall patterns intensify and sea levels rise, the stakes could not be higher.
For the millions who call Greater Jakarta home, the time for action is now. The question is whether leaders will rise to the challenge or allow the city to sink—both literally and figuratively—under the weight of inaction. The future of Indonesia’s capital region hangs in the balance, dependent on a vision that unites science, policy, and collective responsibility. Only through such an approach can Greater Jakarta hope to weather the storms ahead.
