From Traffic Jam to Floods: Problems and Challenges in Jakarta Caused by Rapid Urbanization
Jakarta, the most dynamic, though afflicted with most of the urban problems experienced in twentieth-first century Southeast Asia. Rapid urbanization caused two main problems in Jakarta, traffic congestions and floods. The traffic congestions in Jakarta will not be resolved unless there are reliable, accessible, and affordable public transportation modes that connect the center and outer areas. Floods have become a threat and bring increasing woes for Jakarta residents every year which became strong evidence that rapid urbanization in Jakarta must be reduced. Moreover, rapid urbanization in Jakarta was generated by an influx of migrants from other parts of the nation, particularly from poor regions of Java Island. Mitigating rural poverty in Java will address not only the problems of the rural poor but also reduce the pressures in and on Jakarta and its peripheries. In line with this, rapid urbanization in Jakarta must be slowed because it might bring problems to the megacity of Jakarta, such as floods and traffic congestions.
According to the United Nations (2012), Jakarta has become too crowded because of the rural-urban migration. There are some of the factors driving rapid urbanization. One of the main factors is rural-urban migration, driven by the prospect of greater employment opportunities and the hope of a better life in cities. Rapidly increasing population density can create severe problems, especially if planning efforts are not sufficient to cope with the influx of new inhabitants. The result may, in extreme cases, be widespread poverty. Tobey (1989) mentioned that in developing countries, industrial growth without pollution control measures not only leads to the deterioration in environmental quality and degrades natural systems, but may also increase poverty and, in turn, lead to what is called poverty-related pollution. Reports by the UN Human Settlements Program estimated that 26% of Indonesia’s urban population lives in slums area, with more than five million slum dwellers located in Jabodetabek Megacity (UN Report, 2010).
The probability of flooding will increase as long as if rapid urbanization still happening. Urban expansion, which can be seen from population growth and settlement expansion as well as lifelines over hazardous areas has increased the impact of natural disasters (Alexander, 1995; Rosenfeld, 1994). Increasing urban development and human activities, such as road building, settlement expansion, and deforestation, can significantly increase flood risk (Chung et al., 1995; Montgomery, 1994). For example, over the past century, the United States has become an increasingly urban society. The changes in land use associated with urban development affect flooding in many ways.
Floods have become a threat and it is increasing for Jakarta residents every year. In 2007, the worst floods in memory inundated about 70% of Jakarta, killed at least 57 people and sent about 450,000 fleeing their houses. In 2008, floods inundated most parts of Jakarta including the Sedyatmo toll road, and nearly 1,000 flights in the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport were delayed or diverted with 259 were canceled. In 2012, floods inundated hundreds of homes along major Jakarta waterways including the Ciliwung, Pesanggarahan, Angke, and Krukut Rivers and displaced 2,430 people (The Jakarta Globe, April 5, 2012). In January 2013, many parts of Jakarta were inundated following heavy rain and killed at least 20 people and sent at least 33,502 fleeing their houses as reported by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) (The Jakarta Globe, January 22, 2013).
Traffic congestion occurs because of the high growth rate of vehicle ownership unsupported by road development as a result of rapid urbanization. In India, most of the cities which are undergoing rapid urbanization are facing severe problem of traffic congestion. Based on Rukmana (2014), Jakarta is estimated to lose US$3 billion a year because of traffic congestion. He mentioned that the peripheries of Jabodetabek Megacity are become “bedroom suburb” for the daily commuters of Jakarta, especially for people who work at the center of government and corporate offices, commercial and entertainment enterprises. In fact, in the daytime, the total population in Jakarta is much more than its population in the nighttime. The number of daily commuters in Jakarta is estimated at 5.4 million (Suara Pembaruan, March 9, 2011).
Nonetheless, Indonesia can benefit more from urbanization. Other countries have gained higher economic growth through formal employment and better labor productivity that result from urbanization. For example, every 1% growth in urban population correlated with a per capita GDP increase of 13% for India, 10% for China, and 7% for Thailand. However, according to World Bank (2016), Indonesia is gaining only 4% GDP growth for every 1% of urbanization, due to the congestion, pollution, and disaster risks resulting from insufficient infrastructure investment. Indonesian cities are not spending well or enough on their infrastructure. The country’s economy grew by an average of 5.8% in the mid to late 2000s, but infrastructure stock grew by only 3%. Meanwhile, in contrast, China invested 10% of GDP in its infrastructure over the past decade. Moreover, the relationship between the degree of urbanization of a country and its per-capita incomes, or usually known as GDP, is considered complex and only partially understood in the context of developing countries. Researchers in China stated that they found no correlation between the rates of urbanization and economic growth. In other words, fast urban growth does not always fasten economic growth.
In conclusion, fast population growth in Jakarta must be reduced. Rapid and unplanned urbanization in Jakarta will only bring more problems to the capital city of Indonesia, such as widespread poverty, traffic congestions, and flooding. Actions that can help Indonesia, especially Jakarta benefit more from urbanization is by prioritizing urbanization in the national development agenda and addressing issues with a comprehensive approach.
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