Yuli Tri Suwarni, Depok – The condition of the environment in Jakarta and the upstream areas of West Java have contributed to the current floods, the worst since 2007, experts say.

Only comprehensive solutions can solve the problem. University of Indonesia hydrology expert Firdaus Ali said on Friday Jakarta's soil had become so saturated that it could only contain 15 percent of the rain water.

Also, the capital can no longer rely so heavily on the 13 rivers flowing across Jakarta, which have a capacity of 8 million cubic meters per second, and the West Flood Canal, which moves 500,000 cubic meters of water per second, because most of the drainage systems were broken, he said.

"Continuous rainfall and high tides in northern Jakarta, nullifies the amount of water Jakarta can contain," said Firdaus.

Meteorology and geophysics expert Armi Susandi from Bandung Institute of Technology said several factors were to blame for the current situation the capital finds itself in – with 102 out of 267 subdistricts in the capital flooded and 18,018 out of 10.18 million Jakartans displaced as of Friday.

While Firdaus blamed infrastructure, Armi said natural factors caused 75 percent of the floods and that was why it was hard to make the waters subside.

She said higher precipitation had shifted from Bogor, south of Jakarta, to southern Jakarta, with precipitation of 100 millimeters per day evenly across the capital.

The situation worsened because of high tides that prevented river water from flowing into the sea she said, adding the water absorption capacity had become "small in the concrete jungle of Jakarta".

"This year's floods may reach their peak in two to three weeks coming because the peak of the rainy season has yet to come," Armi said.

Land conversion and environmental damages along the Ciliwung riverbanks from Bogor to Jakarta meant water from the upstream areas was unstoppable.

Water catchment areas, such as small lakes, are also relatively limited in Jakarta, as are green spaces, she said, adding "we don't have the facility to pump water away from northern Jakarta to the sea."

She said improving riverbanks from upstream areas toward Jakarta was one way to save the capital.

The government and regional administrations, she said, should build water reservoirs in Depok that could serve as a drinking water container and as a water catchment area, while the rest of the water from the upstream could then be channeled into deep tunnels, a project the Jakarta administration is currently mulling over. Water catchment areas and pumps are also needed in East Jakarta and North Jakarta, respectively, she said.