The authorities have urged cities to step up their early warning systems and emergency readiness, as well as work with neighbouring cities to mitigate flood risks. - Photo: The Jakarta Post/ANN
JAKARTA: As Jakarta gears up for the Christmas and New Year holiday, the city is also bracing itself for the risk of flooding, landslides and other hydrometeorological disasters, amid warnings of a heightened risk of heavy rains and stronger winds.
According to a forecast from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Jakarta is expected to see intense rain and strong winds between Friday (Dec 19) and Monday (Dec 22).
In the past days, winds were recorded blowing at a speed of up to 55kmh in Jakarta, above the normal average of below 30kmh.
The weather agency attributed the extreme weather conditions to the peak of the rainy season, which is expected to last until January 2026, as well as a tropical cyclone and two cyclone seeds detected in three separate locations around the country that were said to have contributed to extreme weather in Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia.
Tropical Cyclone Bakung was identified forming over the Indian Ocean south-west of Lampung province in Sumatra.
As at the evening of Dec 17, it was observed moving further from Indonesia at lower speed, although the BMKG said the cyclone would still affect weather in many parts of the country.
Aside from Bakung, the weather agency is also monitoring a potential cyclone dubbed Invest 93S that was first detected on Dec 11 south of East Java, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
While it is moving away from the Indonesian archipelago, it is expected to trigger heavy rains and strong winds in Jakarta.
The BMKG is also monitoring another cyclone invest called 95S, which was first detected on Dec 15 near the Arafuru Sea southwest of South Papua province.
To mitigate against the impacts of potential extreme weather events, Jakarta Deputy Governor Rano Karno acknowledged the city would require stronger mitigation efforts during the year-end holiday season, when more people are expected to travel in and out of the city.
“Data from the BMKG, Pushidrosal (the Navy’s Hydrography and Oceanography Center) and other related institutions will be important to help city administration anticipate these hazards better,” Rano said during a meeting with the BMKG and Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) on Dec 16.
Gearing up
The deputy governor urged city authorities to step up their early warning systems and emergency readiness, as well as working together with neighbouring cities to mitigate the risk of floods.
Jakarta is vulnerable to flooding due to its location in a lowland area that is the downstream basin of several rivers. But unchecked development and excessive groundwater extraction across the city has led the city to suffer from land subsidence, leaving it increasingly vulnerable to flooding.
To mitigate against potential floods, the Jakarta Water Agency has prepared 590 portable water pumps. They will assist the existing 612 pump houses spread across the city to remove floodwater inundating streets and neighbourhoods.
Jakarta BPBD has also mapped out 12 districts across the capital where landslides could occur during heavy rains and strong winds in the coming weeks, such as Cilandak, Pasar Minggu and Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta as well as Cipayung, Ciracas and Pasar Rebo in East Jakarta.
“Although Jakarta is known as an urban area, there is still a risk of landslides, particularly in areas with steep contours and vulnerable soil conditions,” Jakarta BPBD head Isnawa Adji said.
The disaster agency has also warned of potential tidal floods occurring in several locations in northern parts of the city during the holiday season, including in areas near the capital’s popular amusement park Taman Impian Jaya Ancol (Ancol Dreamland Park).
As part of mitigation measures against tidal flooding, the Jakarta administration is expediting the construction of a seawall in the West Ancol area in North Jakarta. As at Dec 19, around 90 per cent of the 2.1km seawall had been built, according to Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung.
“I request that the construction be continued under a multi-year scheme until 2029 so it can be completed,” Pramono said while inspecting the construction in West Ancol on Dec 19.
The seawall is part of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development project that aims to build a total of 46km of concrete barriers designed to protect the city from coastal flooding and land subsidence.
The project is jointly managed by the Jakarta administration and the central government.
Some 20km of seawall was built over the past few years, while the remaining 26km is expected to be finished by 2030.
Recent extreme weather events have brought down several trees across the city.
In November, two people died in separate incidents in South Jakarta involving falling trees during heavy rains.
The latest incident took place on Dec 15, when an ageing tree fell injuring one person in South Jakarta, as reported by Indonesian news agency Antara.
The Jakarta Parks and Forestry Agency is pruning and replacing trees at high risk of coming down. Around 70,000 trees have been pruned in the past months as part of the adaptation to increasing rainfall in Jakarta, agency head M. Fajar Sauri said on Dec 18. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
