Jakarta, a metropolis of 10 million, is recognized as the most sinking city in the world. Every year the capital drops by 25 centimeters, and floods due to tides rise by 200 centimeters. Floods are already costing the state dearly – the disaster takes tens of billions of dollars from the government every year. According to forecasts, in the next 10 years there will be even more flooding, and by 2050 a third of the city risks being under water.
A “Great Sea Wall” will be built around the Indonesian capital. Thanks to it, as Bloomberg reports, authorities hope to save Jakarta from flooding. The facility will consist of 17 artificial islands with a total length of 24 kilometers, built off the northern coast of the country. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangg Hartarto, said that construction will last until 2040 and will take place in three stages, but the country’s Ministry of Defense admits that construction will take 40 years. It is already known that the first two stages will require about 10.5 billion dollars.
In addition to the sea wall, limiting groundwater extraction may help slow down Jakarta’s flooding. In addition, in the jungles of Borneo, a new city is being built – Nusantara, which, as the authorities plan, will be able to replace the drowned capital.
The first phase of the project involves the construction of a nearly 47 km long dam along the coast of Java. At the second stage, a huge artificial island with an area of 40 km² will appear off the coast, resembling the national symbol of the country – the Garuda bird. The structure will be able to protect Jakarta from flooding due to storms. It was planned to build office and residential buildings, highways and recreation areas on the island.
