Sea walls needed to stop floods: Expert

The threat of rising sea levels has prompted hydrologists to recommended Jakarta consider building more sea walls along its waterfront. Higher than usual tides flooded parts of North Jakarta's Muara Angke district early last week, inundating houses and destroying the existing retention wall there.
"Climate change has prompted unpredictable cyclones that, when combined with regular tides, create surges of waves," naval hydrologist Lt. Col. Rasyid said Thursday. "Only higher sea walls combined with a proper drainage system could protect waterfront areas such a threat."

the State Ministry for the Environment has also warned that rising sea levels caused by global warming could put parts of the city underwater by 2050. The Ministry's report predicted world temperatures would rise by up to four degrees Celsius and sea levels would rise by between 18 cm and 58 cm by 2100. Most of the city's threatened low-lying areas are in North Jakarta, including Ancol, Cilancing, Koja and penjaringan.