Why did the “first rain” of Jakarta become such a significant event?
Via Indonesia Water Portal
Jakarta, Indonesia, the city once concerned about excessive rain and flooding, celebrated the inauguration of its rainy season in mid-September. How did Jakarta go from a city of excessive rain to one in the absence of rain?
Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, has recently experienced both extreme rain and extreme drought. Drought has become a major issue for the entire island of Java, an island within Indonesia that holds the greatest population and also where Jakarta is located. Not only is the water shortage expected to continue until at least the year 2070, but the rising demand for water in urban areas has surpassed the amount being supplied. With daily average temperatures rising to 36 degrees Celsius at noon, drought has occurred more easily in Jakarta’s urban areas where water is least likely to be found compared to locations with rainforests and coasts.
Along with the case of drought stands another major issue of pollution. A new study has proven that Jakarta is the most polluted city in the world, and even the president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, has agreed to this statement. “President Joko Widodo has asked that there be concrete steps (to tackle air pollution) within one week. He has been coughing for almost four weeks and said he has never felt this way,” reported Sandiago Uno, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, to highlight the recognized severity of pollution by the citizens and the president. Drought is one of the many sources of high levels of pollution, which also include traffic, traffic, factories, and coal-fired power plants. As pollution continues to deteriorate over time, the amount of smog engulfing the city has become thicker. While improvements continue to be sought and made to alleviate the amount of pollution, Welsh, a political analyst from the University of Nottingham who collaborated with the Indonesian government to brainstorm solutions to this issue, suggests a possible approach: “While there have been improvements in Jakarta (in areas like) public transportation, these need to be ratcheted up along with better enforcement against (fossil fuel) burning and regulated vehicle use.”
Now, this leads us to the ultimate question: what do drought and pollution have to do with the significance of the first rain of its rainy season in Jakarta? Well, it turns out that rain was the solution to both problems at once. Water, in general, has become even scarcer as the dry season in Jakarta, which is between May and September, continues to get drier. Therefore, the first rain that marks the end of this dry season has been a crucial event for the citizens of Jakarta who were praying for rain to come and provide sources of water while dropping the burning temperatures. On the other hand, the first rain also washes away the thick layer of smog and fine dust surrounding the city as it can remove particles from the atmosphere and dissolve pollutant gases, according to Rasio Ridho Sani, the ministry’s Director General of Law Enforcement. He adds that dry seasons tend to have worse pollution due to this same reason. Therefore, the first rain in Jakarta not only improves the environment for its citizens but also brings hope for the resumption of efficient farming and increased water supply, especially in urban areas.
These aspects are what make Jakarta an ironic city: as much as it is in need of water, it is in need of less water. The government of Jakarta continues to seek solutions to decrease the gap between these two extremes, but the power of nature, what cannot be done by the human hand, is too remarkable to be fulfilled by mankind as can be seen through this September’s first rain in Jakarta.
If the rainy season in Jakarta is to begin, what do the citizens have to pray for? Rain or no rain? Can there really be an option for “moderate rain”?