Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – A researcher from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Budi Heru Santosa, outlined three main triggers for the flood issues in Jakarta. According to him, these three factors are interrelated and very complex.
He explained that there are three triggers for floods in Jakarta: lowered land levels, extreme rainfall, and suboptimal drainage and river infrastructure. "Jakarta is currently facing heavy pressure due to multidimensional issues that are intertwined," he said during a discussion at the BJ Habibie Building, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
The researcher at the Center for Limnology Research and Water Resources stated that Jakarta has experienced an annual decrease in land levels ranging from 1 to 15 centimeters. This condition is highly vulnerable to triggering floods as it turns previously flat land into basins.
He further explained that this condition is worsened by trash blocking rivers and sediment building up in them, which makes it difficult for them to contain rainwater discharge. Consequently, it is very difficult to avoid flooding when extreme rainfall hits Jakarta.
Therefore, Budi emphasized that handling Jakarta's floods requires an integrated strategy consisting of short- and long-term efforts. Short-term efforts include implementing polder systems in high-risk areas, while long-term efforts include optimizing an integrated early warning system.
Regarding the handling of Jakarta's floods, Governor Pramono Anung had previously unveiled his government's plans. He emphasized the importance of normalizing the three main rivers – Ciliwung, Krukut, and Cakung Lama – as a solution to flooding in the capital.
Pramono stated that Jakarta can only contain around 150 millimeters of rainfall per day. River normalization programs are carried out to increase this capacity.
Special Staff to the Governor for Public Communication, Cyril Raoul Hakim or Chico Hakim, said that sedimentation, as well as buildings on the riverbanks, have altered the natural flow and reduced the capacity to hold rainwater and upstream discharges. In such a situation, floods easily occur even if the rainfall is not considered extreme.
"These narrow rivers make the capacity to contain even more limited," he said on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. He added that the Jakarta government also chose normalization to resolve the recurring annual flood issue. "Normalization is a concrete medium to a long-term solution."
– Dani Aswara contributed to the writing of this article
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2085283/brin-three-factors-behind-jakarta-flood