Could a $40 Billion Bird Stop Coastal Flooding in the Indonesian Capital?

COULD A $40 BILLION BIRD STOP COASTAL FLOODING IN THE INDONESIAN CAPITAL? Meanwhile, in Jakarta: A Dutch firm has designed a giant seawall complex shaped like a mythical Indonesian bird to help the city deal with present and projected coastal flooding, linked to subsidence from massive groundwater extraction. What could go wrong? According to impact studies of the project, plenty: skeptics’ concerns include the complete erosion of nearby islands, the inadvertent creation of a polluted and oxygen-depleted zone in Jakarta bay that would be toxic to marine life, and even an increase in corruption as the $40 billion project is executed. The Great Garuda and its 17 artificial islands would need to be in place by 2025 to shelter the 10-million-person capital as intended; the project would be partially funded by the sale of newly created land to developers. [National Geographic]

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