Seven Major Asian Cities Predicted to Be Submerged by 2030: What About Jakarta?

According to a Greenpeace report, extreme sea-level rise and flooding caused by climate change are projected to submerge seven major Asian cities by 2030. This could also potentially impact the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by US$724 billion.

Jakarta is among the seven cities predicted to be submerged due to rising sea levels. Greenpeace also stated that at least 1.8 million people will be affected, making Jakarta the second most affected city in terms of population.

Nearly 17% of Jakarta's total land area, which lies below sea level, will be inundated by floods every 10 years by 2030. As a result, 1.8 million people will lose their homes, and US$68.2 billion of Jakarta's Regional Gross Domestic Product (RGDP) is at risk.

Besides Jakarta, other major cities also threatened with submersion by 2030 include Bangkok, Manila, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Bangkok has the highest number of people projected to be affected, reaching 10.45 million.

Manila is third, with 1.54 million people affected by rising sea levels. The number of people affected in Tokyo is estimated at 830,000, Taipei at 430,000, Seoul at 130,000, and Hong Kong at 90,000.

(Read More: Survey: Majority of Indonesian Youth Care About Environmental Issues)