Jakarta to be protected from flooding by 8km, US$263 million sea wall
PUBLISHED : Friday, 10 October, 2014, 5:13am
UPDATED : Friday, 10 October, 2014, 5:13am
Reuters in Jakarta
Officials check the plan during the official launch of construction of the Jakarta sea wall. Photo: AFP
Indonesia has officially launched a US$263 million project to build a giant sea wall along the coast of its capital, Jakarta, to protect businesses and homes from flooding.
Last year's rainy season brought Jakarta to a standstill, causing a river in the city to breach its banks and swamp the central business district, leaving thousands stranded.
The flooding in January last year caused US$580 million in damage and the repair work is still taking place.
Almost 50 people lost their lives and about 20,000 people were evacuated.
Floods also caused severe damage in 1996, 2002 and 2007.
With 40 per cent of Jakarta already below sea level, the situation is expected only to worsen for the city of 10 million people as the ground slowly subsides due to its excessive pumping of groundwater.
Fixing the flood problem was a promise of President-elect Joko Widodo during his term as the city's governor.
"This project is a must," chief economics minister Chairul Tanjung said after a ground-breaking ceremony.
"If we don't do anything, in 2050 Jakarta will sink due to rapid ground subsidence and rising sea level."
The project, which was designed in consultation with infrastructure and environment officials from the Netherlands, should be able to resist high tides and the rising sea level at least until 2030.
The first phase of the project government will include an 8km wall along the coast, which forms the city's northern edge.
