Indonesia is grappling with grave ecological problems. While pollution caused by plastic waste threatens ecosystems, Jakarta is sinking into the sea. The city is quite literally going under. Climate activists and authorities are doing what they can to halt the process.
In addition to Indonesia’s own plastic waste, thousands of tons are brought to the country illegally every year despite a ban imposed in 2019. Disposed of improperly, much of it ends up in the sea and rivers. On the island of Bali, siblings Gary und Kelly have founded an organization to clear the masses of waste from waterways. To do this, they and their teams have built around 200 floating barriers. Through their efforts, more than 1,700 tons of garbage have been properly disposed of or recycled since 2020.
In Java, Daru Setyorini campaigns against environmental pollution. The Indonesian woman is head of the organization "Ecoton”. Daru’s lab tests repeatedly detect microplastic particles in food. This is because many factories use plastic waste as fuel - including in food production.
Meanwhile, residents of the soon-to-be former capital Jakarta are facing another environmental problem: due to global warming and the excessive extraction of groundwater, the country's largest city is sinking several centimeters every year - around 40% of the urban area is now below sea level. Environmental experts warn that a third of Jakarta could be permanently flooded by 2050 if subsidence continues at the current rate. While former President Joko Widodo approved the plan to build the new capital Nusantara on the island of Borneo in August 2019, authorities and specialists are building a dike in a bid to protect Jakarta from the rising waters.
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