Millions of people have made Jakarta their home; with its large infrastructure and population, the city stands up to its title as the capital of Indonesia. However, scientists discovered that the entire city was sinking below sea level, threatening to make the city disappear by 2050.

Green Hope earth and environmental science teacher Mrs. Meribeth Alabaugh explained this phenomenon from a scientific standpoint. “Jakarta sinking has been an issue for a while, mainly because when a city is built in an area below sea level, any change can cause it to sink. This combined with the city’s groundwater usage and high population density exacerbates the situation,” Mrs. Alabaugh said.

Mrs. Alabaugh adds that this isn’t the first time such sinking has happened. “Several cities are affected by the same fate as they are also very close to sea level such as Venice and Rotterdam. Rotterdam has taken to using levees, dikes, dams, barriers and flood gates to offset the water levels.”

While many believe climate change is the main culprit, Mrs. Alabaugh emphasizes a different cause. She said, “Climate change is causing the sea levels to rise, which is not helping, but the extraction of the groundwater is the main reason why this land is sinking so quickly.”

To combat this problem, the Indonesian government has decided to move the capital to the island of Borneo, because it not only allows for a stable capital but also distributes the economic activity equally across the country. However, not everyone supports this idea because it does not address the root problem. Mrs. Alabaugh believes it is just a “band-aid solution of spending a lot of money to move the capital to the island of Borneo. This does not help with residents that will remain in Jakarta, but now it is also impacting the natural flora and fauna of Borneo.”

As Jakarta sinks below sea level, scientists continue to monitor the situation and propose solutions.