Jakarta, world’s fastest-sinking, fights to raise itself

Jakarta, the fastest-sinking city in the world, has finally taken action on its core land subsidence problem when groundwater free zones for highrise buildings will start to be established in August this year.

Jakarta — the fastest-sinking city in the world — has finally taken action on its core land subsidence problem when groundwater free zones for highrise buildings will start to be established in August this year.

If the government accelerates the provision of piped-water to all residents and enforces the ban on using groundwater, it is likely that will slow down the city’s sinking.

But stopping Jakarta’s subsidence will take 20-30 years and Jakartans should wait at least 10-20 years to see any real results.

Increasing the tariff for using the groundwater can control deep groundwater extraction, while encouraging building residents to use recycled water for flushing, gardening, ablutions, and other non-consumption activities.

Jakarta’s land subsidence began in the 18th century when the Dutch cleared the area’s forests for plantations.

This rush to clear the land degraded the soil, created erosion and resulting sediment issues in the Ciliwung River.

Over time, the accumulation of this sediment formed a delta that the city has been built on. This young soil is still undergoing natural compaction and compression.