Jakarta, Indonesia's capital city, is facing a slow-moving disaster that residents now say feels impossible to ignore.
What's happening?
Jakarta is sinking faster than any other major city in the world, with northern districts dropping by more than 8 inches a year in some areas, according to SwissInfo.
The causes are twofold: widespread groundwater pumping that causes land to collapse and rising sea levels that push water inland.
In neighborhoods like Muara Angke, homes now sit at or below sea level. Residents report flooding several times a year, sometimes leaving sewage-filled water standing for days.
Environmental planner Dwi Sawong warned that these measures may only buy time.
"People living over there will have to move in the coming years," he said, noting that nearly 2 million people in north Jakarta face repeated flooding risks.
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The situation is being made worse by accelerating sea level rise.
A NASA-led analysis found that global sea levels rose 0.23 inches in 2024, significantly higher than scientists anticipated.
Why is this concerning?
Rising seas threaten far more than buildings.
Frequent flooding can contaminate drinking water, increase the spread of waterborne disease, and force families into expensive cycles of repair and relocation.
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$200 or more 💰 In Jakarta, many residents already spend a large share of their income on clean water because they are not connected to the city's water system.
Globally, rising seas are driven by warming oceans and melting land-based ice, both linked to heat-trapping pollution from burning coal, oil, and gas.
As oceans warm, water expands, taking up more space and pushing shorelines inward.
For dense coastal cities, that combination endangers long-term habitability.
What's being done about it?
Jakarta's government constructed miles of sea walls and intends to connect all households to clean, piped water by the end of the decade to reduce groundwater pumping.
Officials have considered relocating residents and even moving the national capital elsewhere.
As individuals, the best way to contribute to meaningful change is to stay informed about the critical climate issues facing our planet today and act on them locally.
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