Wall of artificial islands to be built around Jakarta

A "Great Sea Wall" will be built around the Indonesian capital. Thanks to it, the authorities hope to save Jakarta from flooding, Azernews reports, citing international media outlets.

The facility will consist of 17 artificial islands with a total length of 24 kilometers, piled up off the northern coast of the country.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangg Hartarto, said that construction will be carried out until 2040 and will take place in three stages, but the country's Ministry of Defense admits that construction will take 40 years. It is already known that the first two stages will require about $ 10.5 billion.

Indonesia has been discussing this project for more than 10 years. At the same time, Jakarta is recognized as the most sinking metropolis in the world. Every year, the capital drops by 25 centimeters, and floods due to tides rise by 200 centimeters. Floods are already costing the state dearly – the elements take tens of billions of dollars from the government every year. According to forecasts, there will be even more floods in the next 10 years, and by 2050 a third of the city is at risk of being underwater.

In addition to the sea wall, limiting the extraction of groundwater can help slow down the flooding of Jakarta. In addition, a new city is being built in the jungles of Borneo – Nusantara, which, as the authorities plan, will be able to replace the drowned capital.