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Koja Riots

On April 14, a deadly riot broke out in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, between 1,750 public order officers and residents angry over plans to dismantle the complex around the tomb of a revered Muslim cleric. During the clash, three public order officers were killed and more than 230 people injured.

The City Council concluded that Governor Fauzi Bowo was ultimately responsible for the riot.

Water Troubles

Thirteen rivers crisscross the capital, but none are suitable for supplying the one billion cubic meters of water a year needed for domestic and industrial use.

According to data from the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) from 2006, up to 78 percent of the city’s waterways are heavily polluted.

In May 2010, the city’s main water operators reported that water supplies had been slashed by 40 percent due to severe silting in the Jatiluhur Dam and broken pumps.

Shortage of Green

Only 9.3 percent of the required 13.9 percent of land has been allocated for open green spaces, with experts saying the city’s lack of commitment in providing public green space to support urban ecology one of the main obstacles.

Annual Floods

In February, floods in East Jakarta reached up to three-meters high, displacing more than 500 people. In North Jakarta, the deluge reached a meter high, affecting some 24,000 hectares of flood plains in the city’s north that have been developed into residential and industrial areas.

On June 5, a southern section of the capital’s Outer Ring Road was cut off — for the first time ever in the toll road’s history — by 40 centimeters of water that inundated the roadway after heavy rains.

Devastating Fires

Blazes across the city resulted in at least 43 deaths in 2009, with faulty electrical systems taking most of the blame. In March, more than 100 homes in a packed residential area in Tambora, West Jakarta, were razed . There have been 294 fires recorded in Jakarta this year through June 15.

Gas Explosions

At least 34 blasts linked to faulty liquefied petroleum gas kits have left eight people dead and more than 30 injured around the city this year. The explosions have led police to investigate several illegal LPG cylinder manufacturers.

Evictions

More than 25 million people reportedly live in Greater Jakarta . But by 2020, that figure is expected to balloon to about 35 million.

The city administration has to spend at least Rp 136 billion ($15 million) a year to subsidize housing for 70,000 people who are to be resettled from the banks of the Ciliwung River as part of the city’s flood mitigation program.

Land Reclamation

A major land reclamation project in North Jakarta is going ahead despite warnings from activists that it could have dire consequences for the environment.

The plan to reclaim a 32-kilometer-long stretch of land from the Jakarta Bay, providing an additional 2,700 hectares of land, was sidelined by the State Ministry for the Environment because of its environmental impact but the city is adamant about pushing ahead with the project.

Busway Headaches

Despite promises to make public transportation its main focus this year, the city’s busway network has been slammed by experts who say mismanagement has led to poor levels of comfort, safety and reliability for passengers.

Critics also say the system is failing to attract more users because it lacks a feeder network and park-and-ride facilities.