Abstract
Cities around the world are at risk of pluvial and fluvial flooding, due to more frequent extreme weather events and uncontrolled urbanisation. Coastal cities are additionally at risk from tidal flooding and sea level rise. Hard surface infrastructure leads to rapid storm-water run off overwhelming conventional drainage systems at peak times. This article examines what constitutes infrastructure in the 21st century and what should its new priorities be? A case study is made of Jakarta, a low lying delta city, where the consequences of unregulated economic development are starting to be addressed. The lack of a city based water supply has led to excessive ground water extraction and the sinking of the city further exacerbating flood risk. City wide flooding has occurred three times in the last 15 years. Water needs to be considered as a primary element in infrastructure strategy and space found for natural systems and active travel. In Jakarta the role of the kampungs (informal settlements) provides an opportunity to address social and environmental difficulties at the same time. This interdisciplinary overview analyses recent infrastructure initiatives and developments and asks what more can be done and what new planning policies and concepts may be required.
Highlights
Cities are around the world are at threat from the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and in particular from flooding from fluvial and pluvial flooding
A case study is made of Jakarta, a low lying delta city, where the consequences of unregulated economic development are starting to be addressed
A case study is made of Jakarta, Indonesia, a city in the forefront of climatic and environmental risk; the intention is that a clearer view can be made of the specific city but of flooding and urbanism in general
Summary
Cities are around the world are at threat from the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and in particular from flooding from fluvial (river) and pluvial (surface water runoff) flooding. This article examines the causes and the dynamics of flooding in a rapidly expanding coastal megacity, focusing primarily on fluvial and pluvial flooding and seeks to give a renewed priority to the management of water in the design of the city. Jakarta is the central city of Indonesia and has been its capital since Indonesia’s declaration of independence (from both the Dutch and the Japanese) in 1945. It sits at the west of Java island, which is the mostly highly populated and highly urbanised of Indonesia’s 13,000 islands (see Figures 1 and 2). Water is seen as a resource the demand for which is more consistent than its supply
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