Flood Problem in Jakarta

img source: google.com

Today, I'm going to talk about recent hot issue in most of Indonesia's news shows, flood problem that happens in Indonesia, mostly at Jakarta. Nowadays, flood in Jakarta happens annually, even, it's getting worse and worse - every year, who should to be blame on? Let's take a look first on what factor cause this happened, in my point of view.. 

1. Excess of Population -> too many construction -> green area decrease

As the capital city of Indonesia, where all forms of activities centered here, Jakarta become a city with the most society numbers. with total area: 664,01 km2 Jakarta has patch 9.809.857 society, and has a big differences numbers of society with another cities in Indonesia, and now Jakarta is already classified as  a megapolitan city. 

With these numbers, absolutely Jakarta should grown with many buildings to support the human's activities. Places to work, residential, Mall, stadium, apartments, etc. Which make its green area, trees, plants, forest, reduced year by year along with the increase of the population. Whereas, green areas with plants and trees in there are important place for nature balance. With the presence of trees, whenever the rainy season's coming, it could help soak the water that falling, and decrease the chance for flood disaster.

Now, the green area that available in Jakarta is only 10% of its total area, which ideally it should be 30% .

2. Disposal system 

With those high numbers of society sure it will produce massive garbage in Jakarta. With no good disposal system, it could make a worse condition for Jakarta. Garbage maybe an unimportant things in human's life, it's something that can't be used anymore, it's stink, dirty.. then people throw it away~~pew~~ anywhere, in road, in school, in river, in canal~~ without thinking what may coming up next~~ especially, in rainy season.

Government should provide a good disposal system in Jakarta. They should find most effective and quickest way to anticipate the amount of litter from the society. Government should provide numbers of trash can in ways for every some meters. in crowded place. So, society have more will to throw them in the right place. 

3. Geographical location + bad drainage system

The geographical location is one of largest cause why Jakarta gets a flood every year. Placed after Bogor which in higher level from Jakarta makes Jakarta got its descendant water flows. The bad news is, Jakarta already in bad condition with factors i earlier said. 

Actually it won't really impact to Jakarta if only Jakarta already has a good drainage systems. Every year, with the increase of population, the width of drainage canals are getting smaller and smaller while the water capacity that come's getting higher.. Plus if the drainage system in there nearly broken by ages factor, it will make the condition worse.


What should we do?
It's kind of hard question to solve. Since, we all know, how big matters that made Jakarta having this flood attack every year. We can't blame the high rain intensity, we shouldn't be, because rain is Allah's giving.. So if it becomes a disaster, who else to blame? It's ourself.. as human, who actually caused this. Jakarta already broken the nature being in there until it isn't balance anymore. Too many deforestation. Too many green area used for buildings. Not only that, I get a lil bit disappointed every time I watch a television program that reporting Flood in Jakarta, and the host said..
"Wish the Jakarta's Government could quickly overcome this problem.." 

Wait a minute. So you just hoping the Government is the one who should take an action here? and you wish this problem will be finished? How much time you wish it would take, if you're hoping like that?

Let's counting, how many Government's people that can take action? And how many Jakarta's residents that can take action? It won't ever make sense when you're wishing just The Government that should take an action to overcome this problem and the society not. You're all living in that area together. You produce the garbage, you used the land for making home, you keep coming there with hope that you'll get a better economy, life, etc and when the problem comes up..you're just hoping the Government will finished it...

We all can start helping by doing little things.. Like, don't ever throw garbage anywhere. throw it at the trash can. Or maybe reuse it for something useful again. It's only a simple thing :) 
Maybe we don't notice it, when we throw a piece of plastic in a canal.. and we think, 
"ah it's not a big thing. nothing will happen"
But, how if you keep doing it once every 5 days, multiply it into a month, and a year, and 9.809.857 head. Is it still won't make big thing happen again? 

For bigger solutions.. there're must be a lot. but i believe, most of them will take times. because, the problems're in huge scale. 

1. Do transmigration -> equalization of population -> equalization development
Indonesia is a big country. It contains of..many region. Java, Borneo, Papua, Sumatera, Sulawesi. But, all the society mostly concentrated in Java. Why? Because, the development in this country's uneven. Imagine, if every region in this country, happening an equal development's grade.. The society's numbers. The economy's growth numbers. The resources exploration rate.
Not only the flood matter that will be solved, but also the others problems, such as reduce the unemployment numbers, reduce the traffic jam in high ways, and so many else in the future.

2. Do the vertical's direct construction
One of my college's teacher, in Transportation Building major, ever told me.. as the society growth and the need of massive public facilities's getting higher. We should take an advantage of the vertical's direct construction. vertical's direct is unlimited space that we can used. Like, in developed country, as Japan, American already did. it will surely take times until Indonesia can become like this below.. but.. hey, nothing's impossible ;)
*)P.S: if you don't understand what I mean, these're the examples of vertical's direct construction

japan's highway (img src: google.com)

Dubai Marina Real Estate Apartment (img src: google.com)

Los Angeles's Highway (img src: google.com)

3. Repair/rebuild, and keep maintenance the drainage system

Since, the drainage system like, water pump, flood gate, is still human's production. Slowly, they could get broken by the time. So, people should take a serious maintenance of it. Every 3 month, every 6 month, or every year, maybe. It sure will take cost, but prevention is better than repressive, isn't it?

Compared with the cost that should spend for the maintenance, i'm sure it will less than the cost for keeping back the city condition. less than resident's properties that broken by the flood.

Last but not least.. let's wishing all the best for our brothers and sisters out there.. which was hit by the flood, may you all blessed in Allah's shelter and kindness.. let's save our environment since now.. we are the ones who can prevent ourself from bad things. May Every incident is in Allah's will. but we must make an effort. Take the lesson..and learn from that.. bismillahirohmanirohim.. :)

Three Gorges DAM

Hey, I Just watched National Geographic Channel. It's talking about Three Gorges DAM in China. They compare it with others barrage which already built earlier than this, such as.. Hoover DAM in USA, Krasnoyarsk DAM in Russia, etc.

I could take a summary from watching this spectacle, that, how important is it to learn from others things that has been there earlier. Yes, we should make an evaluation from things around us. We should learn, which one is good and which one is bad from that things, then.. we use and follow the good ones and we change/recycle/rearrange the bad ones. So that, we could.. produce a better thing afterwards 

In this show, NatGeo channel showed us, how.. greater is it the Three Gorges DAM at China, its strength, its making way, its used technology, its mechanism, its surplus, its different than the others dam in the world. And it is really really massive cool! This show showed us, how wisdom are the Chinese people in the making of this dam.

The Three Gorges DAM (source: wikipedia)

I can't exactly tell you what's the intention of this barrage with another barrage, since it used a higher language on Civil theory.. (especially on water construction major) So you better, find its video (I provide you one below)

What makes the Three Gorges Dam special?

1. to construct this barrage, China needs to move away numbers of its population. They migrate them to some places in country, it also impact on China's economic system for some couple times, but I guess it has been solved, since with the construction of this DAM it means that Chinese quality are raised. They somehow already in higher level. They have another facility to support their life. They have DAM which the world's largest hydro power, i mean the sacrifice they've made are paid off.

2. When DAM's already operating, its water that fall down from the barrage will have a damage power to the land below them. Slowly.. it could reduce the barrage's land power, it scrape the soil layer below the building, and make the building collapse, because they're not strong enough for keeping the pressure that keep coming from the water. So, Three Gorges used a new method which adapted from Grand Coulee DAM in US State to overcome this problem,

if the Grand Coulee make a curvature concrete below their DAM, Three Gorges build it above the water (the red ones), so after the water fall down the barrage, they splashed until around 100m up, so  it won't have a distracted power anymore, the foundation land won't be deflected

source: google.com , This's how the water splashed outside the water space

3. Since, Three Gorges DAM placed in Yangtze river, it's one of busiest river in Asia, it's really useful for the traffic. With the Three Gorges DAM construction it will destruct the traffic activity in there. So, Chinese engineer, made a similar way which used at Krasnoyarsk DAM in Russia. They made a lift which using the water power (adapt the hydraulic pump theory).. So it can lift the ships from one side to another side of the DAM. 

4. The Three Gorges DAM's engineer could find out a method to make its building material which won't lose with nature's power.

And another excess that i haven't been mentioned since i still lack on English (i wish i could increase it soon), and my civil knowledge not that much yet, but soon I will, aamiin ;) I just wanna share you an info that I just got, well, Three Gorges DAM has been produce an ultimate hydro power for China, It really give much impact on many things in China, their Economical, their transportation, their flood problems, their irrigation, their electricity) .. and so many else, which grow to better and higher level. And made China into one of developed country in the world. 

We should learn many things from this. We could see.. how Allah already provide us with things in nature, water, sunshine, which can be used for something more useful. which can produce big power to be used. We as a human..just should keep learn and learn and find a way how to make things possible..and being useful.

Allah gives us sense and mind, to safe this world, to live in this world, Bismillah may Allah shows us always the wise way..to through. it's one of human's masterpiece. it's a real evidence, that yes we're capable to make big things, whatever is that, however they seems from too impossible -> to be possible. Crazy ideas are the biggest idea. People said if your dreams aren't scared you enough... that means they're not big enough. Keep imagining, keep dreaming, and work for it. Nobody knows if one day we could make them true. The ones who success are ones that have courage and believe in their dreams.  Subbhanallah :)