Life beyond The Wall

Jakarta. As the most populated city in Southeast Asia, Jakarta is well known for its metropolitan bustle and crowded traffic during rush hour. 

But further north, 30 minutes from the Presidential Palace, life seems almost heavenly beyond the Capital's giant sea wall. The sea breeze harmonizes with the sound of the ocean as children enjoy the sunset, depicting a poetic scenery in the coastal area of the national capital.

Waladuna Mosque bears silent witness to the impact of climate change. It has been submerged in water for more than two decades. The same can be said of the community who live around it as they must regularly deal with coastal floods.

The notion that Jakarta will sink is widely known. US President Joe Biden also predicted that Jakarta was in danger of sinking in the next 10 years during one of his speeches last month. Biden mentioned that Indonesia would have to move its capital city due to the rise in sea levels.

In one afternoon, some people were seen fishing and collecting plastic garbage around the embankment, while children climbed onto boats and plunged into the sea. Life can seem both simple and complicated at the same time. 

Jakarta needs to fight against time. The National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project, which seeks to reduce the riskof rising sea levels and land subsidence along the 20.1 km coastline, must be completed on time. 

The Public Works Ministry has built a 4.83-km long giant sea wall, which will be extended by 3.75 km. The Rp 571 trillion ($40 billion) project is expected to be completed in 2025.