Indonesia aims to stop Jakarta from sinking further by curbing groundwater use

The measure is to prevent water usage from becoming ‘out-of-control’ and worsening land subsidence in various parts of Java

Construction of the new capital of Nusantara to replace Jakarta has begun with the sinking metropolis being a key reason for the move

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Flooded houses after heavy rain in Jakarta in early 2020. The sinking metropolis is very vulnerable to environmental hazards. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:12pm, 13 Nov 2023Updated: 9:40pm, 13 Nov 2023

Indonesia will limit groundwater use to conserve water supply and halt land subsidence that already plagues its capital Jakarta.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry will require households using more than 100 cubic metres of water a month to hold permits, Muhammad Wafid, acting head of the ministry’s geology agency, said on Monday. Most families use only about 30 cubic metres a month.

“We don’t want out-of-control water usage,” as it will cause land subsidence which has been recorded in many areas across the northern coast of Java, he said.

The move is meant to ensure future generations would still have access to groundwater and to prevent further sinking of cities like the capital, which has seen some areas sink as much as four metres between 1997 and 2005.

In about three years, the government will also start imposing penalties for those who use groundwater without a permit. Farmers who aren’t linked to irrigation systems are still exempted from the permit requirement as long as they use less than two litres a second per family, Wafid added.