Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Tidal flooding, known locally as banjir rob, has submerged several coastal areas of North Jakarta for the past five days, with water levels varied between 20 centimeters to one meters in some locations.
As of Wednesday December 18, key areas including Muara Angke, Sunda Kelapa Port, Ancol, RE Martadinata street, and Kapuk Muara, remain inundated, disrupting traffic and daily activities.
At Muara Angke’s pier on Jalan Dermaga Ujung 2 Block Empang, floodwaters have varied between 20 and 90 centimeters, according to Tribunnews. Despite the water levels, many residents have chosen to remain in their homes rather than evacuate.
At Sunda Kelapa Port, tidal waters began spilling over on Tuesday December 17, with levels reaching 70 centimeters inside the port area and 20 to 30 centimeters on nearby Lodan Raya street, according to report from Kompas. Water overflowed from coastal embankments, intensifying the situation.
Traffic and Rail Disruptions
On RE Martadinata street, a major road in North Jakarta, water levels reached 10 centimeters on Wednesday morning, causing significant traffic congestion.
Floodwaters also returned to the vicinity of Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) railway tracks. According to local reports, water levels rose by 2 to 5 centimeters on Wednesday afternoon, following Tuesday’s flooding, which submerged the tracks by 15 to 20 centimeters.
The recurring flooding has slowed commuter rail services, forcing trains to reduce speed as they pass through submerged sections of track.
Weather and Infrastructure Failures
According to Detik, The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued an early warning, cautioning residents about tidal flooding from December 11 through December 20. The phenomenon is attributed to high ocean tides coinciding with a new moon phase, which amplifies water levels along Jakarta’s northern coast.
Authorities noted that natural causes are not solely to blame. Leaking coastal embankments have exacerbated the flooding, allowing seawater to overflow into residential and commercial areas.
Jakarta’s interim head of the Water Resources Agency, Ika Agustin Ningrum, stated that permanent repairs to damaged embankments will begin in the first quarter of 2025. “The holes in the embankments will be sealed using concrete,” Ika said in a statement on Wednesday, as reported by Liputan6.
In the interim, temporary measures are underway to contain the flooding. “We have sandbags on standby to patch the embankment leaks,” she added.
The most affected embankments include those in Muara Baru, Jalan RE Martadinata, and Sunda Kelapa Port—areas that have repeatedly suffered from tidal flooding due to infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Temporary Solutions, Long-Term Plans
The Water Resources Agency has deployed emergency response teams with sandbags to critical locations, aiming to prevent the water from spreading into residential neighborhoods.
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“With these short-term measures and the permanent repairs planned for next year, we are optimistic that the embankment issues can be minimized,” Ika said.
Tidal flooding is a recurring issue for coastal communities in North Jakarta, underscoring the urgent need for improved infrastructure resilience. The city’s low-lying geography, combined with land subsidence and rising sea levels, continues to heighten the risks of flooding in the region.
(Raidi/Agung)
