As the sinking continues, the danger of a catastrophic flood grows The city does not pipe in enough drinkable water, so Jakartans rely largely on wells which extract water from shallow aquifers. Jakarta is sinking because of subsidence. The water gets higher every year,” Sukaesih says – referring to the danger that is, in fact, posed by the ground sinking beneath her feet. “I have been here since 1981 but I don’t know how long we can stay. Areas of north Jakarta, including the seawall designed to protect them, are sinking at an estimated 25cm a year. That’s a drop in the ocean compared to Indonesia’s capital, particularly its northern belt, where four million people live in neighbourhoods that are now up to four metres below sea level. Photograph: Kemal Jufri/The Guardianįorget Venice, which is slowly dropping into its watery foundations at an estimated rate of 2mm per year. When tides are high, the water pours over. Sukaesih stands on top of a sea wall in the Muara Baru district where she lives.

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