The Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov DKI Jakarta) has implemented various programs to prevent and mitigate annual floods in the capital city.
These programs include the construction and revitalization of drainage systems, as well as the dredging of reservoirs, lakes, ponds, rivers, and other waterways.
Despite these efforts, the condition of Jakarta floods appears to have not significantly changed in the last five years.
According to data from the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD DKI), the number of areas affected by floods in the capital city has remained relatively stable, ranging from 200-300 community units (RW) per year between 2018 and 2022, as shown in the graph.
An exception occurred in 2020, when the number of affected areas surged to 1,052 RW. The Pemprov DKI attributed this surge to extreme rainfall, which was three times higher than normal.
"Jakarta's city drainage system is designed to accommodate water discharge with a maximum rainfall of 120 millimeters/day. However, during several extreme heavy rainfall events in Jakarta, rainfall exceeded this capacity," stated the Pemprov DKI on the official Jakarta Flood Monitoring website.
"For example, on January 1, 2020, Jakarta experienced rainfall of 377 millimeters/day, the highest in 24 years. This resulted in floods inundating a large part of the capital city," it continued.
In early 2023, President Jokowi plans to resume the stalled Ciliwung River normalization project to reduce flooding in Jakarta.
"The Ciliwung River normalization project has approximately 17 kilometers remaining. After a considerable pause, this will soon commence as several land acquisition points have been cleared, for example in Rawajati, and construction can begin immediately by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR)," said Jokowi in a press release on the official Ministry of PUPR website on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
"We hope that the remaining 17 kilometers will be completed by the end of 2024, God willing. This will ensure the completion of the Ciliwung River normalization and significantly reduce flooding," Jokowi continued.