Racing to prop up Asia's sinking cities
Racing to prop up Asia's sinking cities
- The Indonesian capital of Jakarta grapples with some of the severest land subsidence in the world. Land in the city sank around 200cm on average between 1900 and 2013, according to Dutch research organization Deltares. The problem is even worse in the city's northern section, which abuts the ocean. Some 40% of the city is already at or below sea level, in the so-called zero-meter zone.
Jakarta's
plunge has picked up pace in recent years. Land is expected to sink
another 180cm on average by 2025. North Jakarta could be in danger of
inundation by then unless something is done, according to such bodies as
the World Bank.
- The Indonesian capital of Jakarta grapples with some of the severest land subsidence in the world. Land in the city sank around 200cm on average between 1900 and 2013, according to Dutch research organization Deltares. The problem is even worse in the city's northern section, which abuts the ocean. Some 40% of the city is already at or below sea level, in the so-called zero-meter zone.