Why Jakarta is sinking
The 400-year curse dragging Indonesia's capital into the sea.
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Like many coastal cities around the world, Jakarta is dealing with sea level rise. But Indonesia's biggest city also has a unique problem: Because of restricted water access in the city, the majority of its residents have to extract groundwater to survive. And it's causing the city to sink. Today, Jakarta is the world’s fastest-sinking city.
The problem gets worse every year, but the root of it precedes modern Indonesia by centuries. In the 1600s, when the Dutch landed in Indonesia and built present-day Jakarta, they divided up the city to segregate the population. Eventually, that segregation led to an unequal water piping system that excluded most Indigenous Jakartans, forcing them to find other ways to get water.
To understand how it all ties together, and what’s in store for Jakarta’s future, watch the video above.
Sources and further reading:
If you want to learn more about the development of Jakarta’s urban water supply going all the way back to colonial times, check out Michelle Kooy’s detailed reports:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2427.2008.00791.x
www.academia.edu/3682152/Splintered_networks_The_colonial_and_contemporary_waters_of_Jakarta
To understand Jakarta’s colonial history and the segregation that came of it, check out this article from the Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art: jhna.org/articles/dutch-batavia-exposing-hierarchy-dutch-colonial-city/
To read about the evolution of the canals the Dutch built in present-day Jakarta and how their deterioration impacted water access and segregation, here’s a study from Dr. Euis Puspita Dewi, who we feature in the video:
scholar.ui.ac.id/en/publications/urban-canals-in-colonial-batavia-rethinking-clean-and-dirt-space
To get a broader look at the many other cities sinking in Indonesia, check out this article by Dr. Estelle Chaussard: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034425712003975
Thanks for watching and let us know what you think in the comments!
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Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com.
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Comments
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Vox17 days ago
Hello! We have translated subtitles available in Bahasa Indonesia. You can access them through the settings icon > Subtitles/CC Thanks for watching, and let me know what other colonial histories you want to see explained next in the comments. Thanks, Christina, Video Producer
Fatih BG9 hours ago
@Na Ma frii payer buril
Argent KnightDay ago
Thanks
Rynaldy Cavdra2 days ago
I explain about Indonesia again plzz,,,
Om Prast3 days ago
Wow, matur suwon
Kareem Kalisari3 days ago
Vox... Vox... Thanks For YourAppreciation To thePeopleOf " INDONESIA " ... Oh, When you smile... It makes me smile... When you cry... I can’t help but cry.... __________________ INDONESIAN
Tavar Firestone31 minute ago
they really should just build a giant floating city, like Atlantis from Stargate Atlantis
Ayu nengsihHour ago
Pr banyak yang harus di benahi
Lucas3 hours ago
Jakarta is beyond repair
Daniel Wilson3 hours ago
Where is Patrick Star when you need him?
D. Mark Agostinelli4 hours ago
Wonderful, so i guess we all blame the Dutch now? For being racist? Really? They divided them, really? So they didn’t build a few more bridges in the last 70 years? What about the Technolgy that was brought there by the Dutch? Why does everything have to be converted into something evil, or dark? What about we just identify it as being a historical way that things once were, instead of continuously manipulating history into making everyone look badly? Does no one recognize the positives?
sivia nunez4 hours ago
Do they have 🌋?
mossy art6 hours ago
This is how life work sometime Mother Nature want some of the land and they should build a drain
Purple Pink Trends6 hours ago
Stay safe Indonesian friends
FBI7 hours ago
So Dutch ruin your city for a century and leave you in swaps and 50 years after independence the government gives the wall building project back to the Dutch? 👁️👄👁️
wiwien7 hours ago
What a curse of being colonized by the Dutch!
Aman Saraf7 hours ago
Every wrong in the world today can be traced back to colonialism
Claive8 hours ago
Be safe to my neighborhood country people ❤
Wimpy9 hours ago
Some people believe because of ice caps lamao
MinecraftDude119 hours ago
Fun fact. The Dutch grounds are also sinking while the sea levels are rising.
Goresan Hitam10 hours ago
Mampus 😆🤭 canda
DS_ MaulanaAlvian10 hours ago
cuz w ar fool
bcvbb hyui11 hours ago
Geologist: Jakarta is sinking Jakartans: we have the strongest military in SEA, we are happy with that
• Pepe •12 hours ago
_"It signals what could happen to Indonesa's capital city if things don't change soon"_ *It is* what will happen to Indonesia's capital city. Because in here, things aint change soon.
bcvbb hyui11 hours ago
I'm here bc PVCs such a pepega adhd andy
Josh Davis12 hours ago
Now that the iceburg broke off in Antarctica it will make the sea level rise faster than ever.
DZ13 hours ago
Colonizers zz
AMisfitsDiary14 hours ago
Why is it that all our problems can be traced to white people. Sigh.
MJ Caranto14 hours ago
that because indonisian in jakarta keep using wells
KolonK Sporadis14 hours ago
Ini baru yang namanya berita bermutu. Membahas permasalahan nyata yg sudah terjadi ratusan tahun sehingga menjadi masalah akut yg berdampak sangat buruk pada masyarakat di masa depan. Ditambah kajian latar belakang & memberikan solusi. Vox, you have my respect.
KolonK Sporadis14 hours ago
@Bon G siapa yg bocah?
Bon G14 hours ago
Lol bocahh
bestamerica17 hours ago
' island indonesia is a soft ground land... ground land can slowly tide down then fill water up
surreal romiics17 hours ago
NOOOO MY COUSIN LIVE IN JAKARTA
Gamilagalo Ear18 hours ago
I have a theory:I think they are flooding not bc of natural stuff bc of humans not from the underground thing I believe my mum is filling up the city with water
Gamilagalo Ear18 hours ago
Why not change sea water into fresh water to drink its simple get a high tech machine AND DONE u have drinkable water
T MindGame19 hours ago
Mamam tuh demo, mau dibuat tembok malah protes skrng siapa yg susah😂
Bon G14 hours ago
WKWK, orangnya ga ada akal
Robby darmawan20 hours ago
Thank you Vox for information 🙏
amana sivkem abe20 hours ago
So to keep it short its pretty much the Dutch trying to build Jakarta like Amsterdam and failing then trying to protect it like Amsterdam and failing again the irony
Shauna Fuller21 hour ago
Great information
REgamesplayer23 hours ago
It is a simple story of incompetence and corruption. People are helpless and without foreign rule they are unlikely to solve this simple problem.
Ro Shambo23 hours ago
Weird time to advertise the vox logo..
iunno o23 hours ago
I'm here bc PVCs such a pepega adhd andy
Lazy Islander23 hours ago
The rich always preys on the poor , the worst thing to happen to this planet is the human race
am_ taurDay ago
So In short, the people in the government in Indonesia are either incompetent or corrupt. Indonesians should be afraid if it is both.
bronxgirl712Day ago
The Dutch should be responsible for fixing the problem they engineered and set into motion but then that would be too much like equity and justice 🙄
Ezee BaqiDay ago
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Yuriy ZubovDay ago
Thanks for the material.
Yogi TamakiDay ago
Stop blaming the government, we also have a responsibility as citizen to protect our environment 🔥
Blaise HopeDay ago
Vox completely ignored the effect pf suharto era centralization that led to a boom in the population that hasnt stopped and the explosion of corruotuon since suharto that made it impossible for any of these measures to be taken. As they point out, all these other cities, and Jakarta didn't. Explain why
Ads SoundDay ago
I am grateful the Dutch colonial left 🤣🤣🤣
Sherlock HolmesDay ago
Bangkok too.
3b Aisha ShabrinaDay ago
Hello my country :v
Your MomDay ago
As a jakartan im pretty siked about being a merman
ArzaHelkilporoDay ago
I have no comment because it's true
AyoWassupBroDay ago
So is it the dutch fault?
SkinnerClimbsDay ago
Blame colonisation
M. Faiz SeptianDay ago
dont know either
Yashin YokuDay ago
after 600+ years of colonization is this what we must accept :(
now lommeDay ago
When it actually sinks, I'm sad to think that maybe my future grandchildren will have more history to learn. Poor them.
Akim AminDay ago
Jakarta is too overpopulated. Money is not everything. Time to move back to own villages and peace of mind is more important.
Sasha's PotatoDay ago
Oh my gawd...
The ZhafranDay ago
Who else live in jakarta? Me
The ZhafranDay ago
Hey is indonesian near atlantis? If yes i can met aquaman i live in jakarta after all
The ZhafranDay ago
Bruh your joking your joking right? pls say yes I LIVE IN JAKARTA WHAT MY PLACE IS SINKING BUT I DIDN.T SEE MY PLACE SINKING! REALLY GUYS I LIVE IN JAKARTA IS JAKARTA REALLY SINKING! IM GONNA DROWN IF I DIDN.T MOVE
Sasongko *Day ago
Jakarta butuh kesungguhan, dalam mengatasi banjir dan sepertinya lebih baik pindah ibu kota sebelum terlambat
Yunita PuspitaDay ago
Tanah Air Yang Kucintaaaaa Engkau kubanggakan
Gotcha Open 2Day ago
The coming of Jesus Christ is close my brothers and sisters!! Please repent of your sins and ask God for salvation for the time is short 💕😞 we are not perfect which is why we need to seek the lord more than ever!❤️❤️🙏🏼.....
Soumyasish BhattacharyyaDay ago
I came to know about this last year from an Indonesian friend I met online. I couldn't believe that at first. I mean,the cultural and economic hub of a country which also happens to be the capital,with thriving culture and population,this all won't exist few decades later because it's sinking, FAST!! It really sounded horrific and I did some findings on internet and found out that Indonesia is shifting their capital to Kalimantan from Jakarta, although Jakarta will continue to play an important role in country's economy. I was relieved,but then realised that as usual,the poor people will suffer the most. Will they be given proper homes in the new capital? What about their earnings? What will happen to fishermen? When Jakarta completely sinks,will The other capital really be the perfect alternative of Jakarta? And within how long? Since they don't have much time It was really something hard to think about,I discussed this fact with her,I mean that Indonesian friend. We both believe that yes, the new capital will be worthy to take the place of Jakarta and hope for the best. Lots of positivity and thoughts and concern from my side,India. I hope they figure this thing out and not even one person suffers in that capital shifting process.
Querencia.tvDay ago
Nice ☺️ ❤️&✌️
nico orlandoDay ago
Hmm yes the start of 2020 it actually flooded my house
MrFlipperInvader792Day ago
9:38 looks beautiful though, like a prog rock album cover
D0d3sDay ago
the capital will soon move to East Kalimantan, now the construction process is underway, hopefully it will run smoothly
Chandra PrakashDay ago
Urban social management was never taken as a serious subject, only GDP focus and heeding no attention to biodiversity, neglecting climate change disaster signals, Human Beings are proving themselves as the biggest fools... atleast now it is time for ACTION..🙏
thefirstchampsterDay ago
I'm genuinely terrified for the year 2050.
Dion GantengkanDay ago
What is sinking ? i am indonesia. ora udud paru paru ora smile
Dion Gantengkan14 hours ago
@Bon G gak penting b inggris wkkwkwk asal nilai bagus juga dah enak
Bon G14 hours ago
Sinking itu tenggelam dek, makanya kalo lagi bljr b.inggris dengerin👍👍
Dwi HaryantoDay ago
bagus, serakah sih, yang dibangun cuma jakarta dan sekitarnya saja. Jawa Tengah saja yang masih satu pulau pembangunannya tertinggal.
Bon G14 hours ago
Betul
kuding KudingDay ago
I am proud to know it
kuding KudingDay ago
I am proud with this chanel
Florida ManDay ago
For everypnes information vox is a racist supermacy for the left out a lot of what the very informative people were saying. Like you can obviously listen to them and they are saying more. The man saying that we had to build on top and top and on top but they just said we had to build taller. The lady said much more as well. I dont know the mans language but i do the womans . She said a whole lot more than what the captions stated. Although i will give you "vox" that you said something close at least to what they are saying and at least actually translated half of it! Lazy! Supressing the people to not state their full opinion. Disrespecting those and shutting them up.
Florida ManDay ago
For everypnes information vox is a racist supermacy for the left out a lot of what the very informative people were saying. Like you can obviously listen to them and they are saying more. The man saying that we had to build on top and top and on top but they just said we had to build taller. The lady said much more as well. I dont know the mans language but i do the womans . She said a whole lot more than what the captions stated. Although i will give you "vox" that you said something close at least to what they are saying and at least actually translated half of it! Lazy! Supressing the people to not state their full opinion. Disrespecting those and shutting them up.
Wocky slushDay ago
Welp bye
Allyson YoungDay ago
But I think that enough decades have passed from Dutch rule without having to blame them. The Indonesian government must now act.
aldo liong tanpanawasDay ago
Im an indonesian the new capital will be tenggarong it will be in the "province" called east kalimantan thats all i know
para SanDay ago
tragedy comes from an architect problem or street design.
Lintang AzzamtaDay ago
I told my friends that jakarta is sinking but they dont trust me :(
Sunsetblvd 1950Day ago
This is the first time a coverage about sinking jakarta mentioned the effects of colonization on the issue. Good research.
Yuma Atwood2 days ago
the other side of suffering is Greatness .....
Naz2 days ago
Bc God dont like it.
Softly VNTconcept2 days ago
Hope they will solve that problem. Love from Philippines
Insat 4442 days ago
We are the dumbest species
ArQuel Yap2 days ago
My Indonesian brothers and sisters, those walls may protect you from rising water but until when? I think removing some concrete flooring and making eco parks and transferring or planting many big trees can be a big help to absorb water. In our capital city the mayor developed and re-open eco parks so that nature and city are combined, but there are still places which is too urbanized and need more nature in it. I hope that Indonesia will soon solve this problem.
Asharaf Abdul Salam2 days ago
People in Jakarta: No, you can't just invest Millions on some bird island that will take 30 years complete and will probably sink with rest of the city!! Venture: Haha big birdy go chirp chirp
Metadragon2 days ago
TL;DR: Blame Europeans.
KOTA TAHU2 days ago
Keberatan dg bangunan pencakar langit, terutama di jakarta utara yang berbatasan dgn laut...
WR 962 days ago
Jakarta is sinking. The local govt: And what about it? 💅🏼💅🏼💅🏼
Ramkumar Suresh N V2 days ago
Another city in India, Chennai is facing the same symptoms but is at an earlier stage, it is not sinking yet.
Pranshu Pandya2 days ago
why is the us air force showing me a filmy ad to join it---while im an indian in india
Rezky Donny Putranto2 days ago
And people still protesting about moving the capital into Borneo? Dude, just your city is literally sinking 😂
Quttubuddin Al Abin Aibak Ulf Sheikh2 days ago
Jakarta: *Sinking 92,000 people: I like this!
ken PRIVATE2 days ago
boats: *I see this as an absolute win!*
anjali mathur2 days ago
European powers really messed up a lot!
MUHAMMAD RAFI ADITYA2 days ago
im life in surabaya
Lotusamb Jeruk2 days ago
no one asked
Dogma2 days ago
I don’t wanna hear this language again, sink faster.
EpicSayGamer2 days ago
Jakarta sinks Disney: Let's make. A sequel to atlantis the lost empire Jakarta: The lost Empire
EpicSayGamer2 days ago
If only trump was still the us president
Danang Graito2 days ago
Yup... But don't worry, because in Jakarta, most religious people believes that "What is coming is better than what is gone" .الجيات أحسن من الرايحات So when the city is fully underwater, let's just eat potato chips and see how their faces reaction from our phones.
Hendrianjayyy2 days ago
Can't wait
Jeanelle Lagrimas2 days ago
Very informative ✨