A worker operating an excavator for dredging at the Grogol River in Kemanggisan, West Jakarta, on Jan 28, 2026. - Antara
JAKARTA: Intense rainfall that triggered flooding in several parts of Jakarta in recent weeks has significantly disrupted economic activity, with transportation and logistics among the sectors hit hardest by severe congestion and delays.
Cyril Raoul Hakim, a special staffer to the Jakarta governor, said no finalised official figures were available yet from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) or the provincial administration regarding the total economic losses from this month’s floods, as assessments were still ongoing.
“However, the significant impact can already be seen from disrupted mobility, declining business activity and damage to infrastructure,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday (Jan 28).
Chico noted that manufacturing activities in flood-prone areas, such as East Jakarta and North Jakarta, had been affected by prolonged waterlogging.
The Indonesian Logistics and Forwarders Association (ALFI) said flooding had severely disrupted access to ports and warehouses around Tanjung Priok Port, with inundation also occurring at two of the international terminals, forcing temporary shutdowns.
“Operations were halted for about half a day during the first flooding. Some international port areas were inundated,” ALFI chairman Adil Karim, told the Post on Thursday
The flooding on Jan 12 coincided with high tides and tidal flooding, a recurring issue in North Jakarta, while prolonged heavy rain overwhelmed the drainage system.
Compounding the disruption, the port experienced a nightlong power outage two days after the flooding, further affecting operations.
Adil also warned of potential cargo damage.
“If floodwater is above ankle-height inside the port, such as the other day, there is a risk that goods inside containers will be damaged. Water can seep through the rubber seals. Containers are not completely airtight, there is always some leakage,” he said.
Although flooding inside the port itself lasted only one day, access roads to the port faced continued disruptions during subsequent heavy rains, particularly key logistics corridors around Cakung.
Adil could not provide an exact figure for the number of companies affected but said many of the ALFI’s roughly 1,600 Jakarta members had complained about congestion.
“There were many delays in delivery. Trucks were stuck for about half a day, because the water level was quite high. We don’t have dedicated logistics lanes, so trucks share roads with motorcycles and public traffic.
"When motorcycles break down, congestion worsens, causing delays in both export and import shipments,” he said.
When deliveries are delayed beyond warehouse operating hours, trucks are often forced to park overnight at the carrier’s expense, with additional costs and fewer daily trips accumulating into significant losses, he said.
Beyond logistics and transportation, the Jakarta administration has acknowledged disruptions in the trade and retail sector, including traditional market and roadside vendors, as well as service sectors like ride-hailing, public transportation and local tourism.
Indonesia MSMEs Industry Association (AKUMANDIRI) chairman Hermawati Setyorinni said floods across Greater Jakarta had caused a sharp decline in income for small businesses.
"Income drops drastically [when it rains], because the weather makes people reluctant to shop. Courier services are also affected; when it rains heavily, they are less active in delivering food, drinks or other goods,” she told the Post on Thursday.
“Sales definitely weaken. Those that still survive tend to be businesses selling warm food or drinks,” she added.
During floods, many vendors are forced to stop operating due to inaccessible locations, declining customer numbers and the inability to pay workers.
“When purchasing power drops and income disappears, they can no longer pay their workers. When they lose their livelihoods, workers return to their hometowns,” she said.
She noted that micro businesses could achieve sales between Rp 500,000 (US$29.30) and Rp 1 million per day.
“Even pushcart fritter sellers can earn up to Rp 350,000 in daily revenue. They may look small, but the turnover is significant,” she said.
Rising raw material prices due to flood-related disruptions at traditional markets compounded the problem, she added.
“The impact is huge. Small problems ripple out everywhere.”
Inundations have forced temporarily closures at various kiosks and traditional markets since mid-January. Cipulir Market in South Jakarta, was flooded several times this month due to prolonged heavy rainfall, including on Thursday afternoon.
Ground-floor traders complained about losing valuable selling opportunities during what should be a peak season ahead of Ramadan. Small businesses that rely on online deliveries have also felt the impact.
Sarah Nuraini, who runs a cable and accessories shop in Central Jakarta and sells mainly through e-commerce platforms, said extreme weather had slowed deliveries from Tanjung Priok Port to her warehouse.
On top of that, she struggled to find couriers for customer deliveries, causing her employees to work overtime to wait for orders to be collected.
Flooding is hardly a new phenomenon in Jakarta, yet it seems to overwhelm the tropical capital year after year.
Major flooding in March 2025 caused Rp 1.7 trillion in estimated economic losses in Jakarta, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Given the recurring nature of floods, the Jakarta administration had adopted both proactive and reactive measures, Chico said, including weather modification operations, the deployment of rubber boats and rescue vehicles, as well as the distribution of water pumps and emergency logistics.
Mitigation measures include work-from-home advisories for nonessential sectors, rapid evacuation support to minimize business disruption and emergency assistance for affected micro and small enterprises in coordination with relevant agencies, with a focus on rapid recovery once floodwaters recede.
“As for medium- and long-term infrastructure, [the administration] is continuing river restoration, drainage capacity upgrades, enforcement against illegal riverbank structures and the construction of retention ponds, including the West Cakung Retention Basin starting in 2026 under the JakTirta 2025–2027 programme for integrated flood and tidal control,” he said.
In the 2026 regional budget of Rp 81.32 trillion, Jakarta has allocated Rp 3.64 trillion for flood control measures, making it one of the city’s top priorities alongside waste management and congestion reduction, he added. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
