Floods in Indonesia's Capital Displace Thousands
Thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Tuesday after floods swamped the region, officials said, with heavy rain expected to continue until next week. Torrential rain since Monday has triggered floods of up to 3-metres (yards) in and around Jakarta, blocking some roads and submerging over 1,000 houses and many cars. The country's weather agency warned that heavy rain is forecast to hit the capital and surrounding cities until March 11.
- This devastating flooding highlights the vulnerability of urban infrastructure in Indonesia's densely populated metropolis, where inadequate drainage systems and poor land use planning have exacerbated the problem.
- How will the Indonesian government address the root causes of such frequent and severe floods, which are not only a humanitarian crisis but also pose significant economic challenges for the country?