The central government of Indonesia and the Jakarta administration signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday to hasten the construction of potable water systems in the capital city to expand tap water service, reports The Jakarta Post.
Expanding access to tap water in the city is a fundamental step to deter land subsidence in Jakarta, the country’s most populous megacity, as excessive groundwater extraction due to a lack of access to piped water is one of the main reasons Jakarta is sinking.
According to the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), without aggressive effort, around 25% of the capital area will be submerged in 2050. Edvin Aldrian, Professor of Meteorology and Climatology at BRIN, pointed out in a recent article, that the risk could increase twofold or even more because of climate change.
The agreement, which was signed by the Jakarta administration, Public Works and Housing Ministry, the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, as well as Home Ministry, was an important “milestone” for the government in addressing the issues, said Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan.
In recent years, the central government has reviewed on several occasions plans to relocate the country’s capital to the island of Borneo.
