TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Irvan Pulungan, the special envoy for Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan on climate change, unveiled three factors triggering the potential for the sinking of the capital city. One of them is the land subsidence.

“The most vital factor is actually the land subsidence caused by very massive groundwater extraction,” Irvan said in a Tempo discussion on Thursday, October 14.

Land subsidence is caused by continuous activities, starting from the massive urbanization and the land-based urban development.

The second threat is that 40 percent of Jakarta's land has been already below sea level since long ago. The third threat is the worsening impact of sea levels up to three times. “Rising sea levels caused by climate change are tripling, not just doubling,” he explained.

U.S. President Joe Biden previously warned that the capital city of Indonesia is in danger of sinking in the next 10 years.

Many experts have also expressed similar predictions. In an article entitled 'Jakarta, the fastest-sinking city in the world,' BBC wrote that Jakarta will sink in 2050.

A researcher from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) Heri Andreas said the potential for Jakarta sinking was based on the results of research on land subsidence in the city for 20 years. “If we look at our models, by 2050 about 95% of North Jakarta will be submerged,” said Heri as quoted from BBC.

Read: City Official Unveils 3 Threats Lead to Jakarta Sinking

LANI DIANA WIJAYA