A NEW city has just muscled its way to the top of the global population charts with 42 million inhabitants.
The leader of the pack outpaced other global metropolises like one-time leader Tokyo and even Cairo, Sao Paulo, and Dhaka.
But the city is sinking and is even set to be replaced as its country’s capital with its government building a new hub in the jungle.
Jakarta, Indonesia, has taken the crown as the world’s most populous city, boasting nearly 42 million inhabitants.
Its core province, DKI Jakarta, holds more than 11 million people within a compact area.
When the surrounding metropolitan area – known as Jabodetabek – is taken into account, the population rises above 40 million.
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However, such a large population brings significant challenges.
Infrastructure, such as roads and transport links, are constantly under pressure.
Environmental issues, such as flooding, have also been exacerbated by the growing population.
Some scientists even believe that entire parts of the city could be under water by 2050.
“The potential for Jakarta to be submerged isn’t a laughing matter,” says Heri Andreas, who has studied the issue at the Bandung Institute of Technology.
“If we look at our models, by 2050 about 95% of North Jakarta will be submerged.”
North Jakarta has sunk 2.5 metres over the past decade.
In some areas, it’s continuing to sink by up to 25 centimetres a year, which is more that double the global average for coastal megacities.
Jakarta as a whole is sinking by an average of 1 – 15 centimetres year and almost half the city now sits below sea level.
However, this is hardly surprising given Jakarta’s location.
The city is built on swampy ground, with the Java Sea directly to the north.
Thirteen rivers also run through its centre, making the whole area especially susceptible to flooding.
Yet none of this has deterred property developers.
More and more luxury apartments are being built in North Jakarta despite the growing risk.
Eddy Ganefo, the head of the advisory council for Indonesia’s Association of Housing Development, says he urged the government to halt further development.
But, he says, “so long as we can sell apartments, development will continue”.
Jakarta is not alone in its struggle against rising sea levels.
Coastal cities all around the world are being affected by an issue primarily caused by climate change.
Yet the rate at which Jakarta is sinking is largely down to the excessive extraction of of groundwater for everyday use.
When groundwater is pumped out, the land above it sinks and this leads to land subsistence.
The situation is not helped by a worrying lack of regulation which allows almost anyone to carry out their own groundwater extractions.
The World’s 10 most populous cities (Source: UN)
- Jakarta – 41.9 million
- Dhaka – 36.6 million
- Tokyo – 33.4 million
- New Delhi – 30.2 million
- Shanghai – 29.6 million
- Guangzhou – 27.6 million
- Cairo – 25.6 million
- Manila – 24.7 million
- Kolkata – 22.5 million
- Seoul – 22.5 million
To combat the rising water, the Indonesian government has sought a radical solution.
They plan to build a giant sea wall to shield the city from tidal surges and rising sea levels.
With an eye-watering price tag of $40 billion, the project is expected to protect Jakarta’s vulnerable coastal areas.
Construction is slated to finish by 2030, and by 2050 the wall is intended to be fully closed off, forming a vast reservoir.
This reservoir would store rainwater and, ideally, supply enough clean drinking water so the city can finally reduce its dependence on groundwater extraction.
But the plan has sparked major controversy.
Experts warn the sea wall could disrupt marine ecosystems, alter sea currents, and accelerate erosion on nearby islands.
It could also trap polluted river water inside the bay, potentially turning it into a stagnant lagoon.
Another solution the Indonesian government is pursuing is moving the capital city to Nusantara.
Construction began in 2022 in the middle of the jungle, with the project expected to cost around $35 billion.
The development is divided into five phases and is slated for completion by 2045.
But this project has drawn plenty of criticism as well.
The construction zone cuts into heavily forested areas, including protected habitats for endangered species.
Local Indigenous communities have also been displaced to make way for the new city.
Given that Jakarta is sinking, Nusantara could be the country’s long-term answer.
