
On New Years Eve, 2019, our brothers and sisters in Jakarta had torrential rain and flash floods.
In this post, January 7th, Channel News Asia, Siwage Dharma Negara writes:
“About 158 urban communities in Jakarta experienced flooding, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).
“Besides Jakarta, the floods also hit surrounding areas, such as Bekasi, Tangerang, South Tangerang and Lebak.
“The floods have caused electricity shutdowns and displacement of many.
“The death toll has reached at least 60 in the Greater Jakarta area and Lebak, according to the BNPB, owing to drowning, hypothermia and electrocution.”
We’re witnessing all over the world how our human actions affect where we live. Siwage goes on to say:
“There’s no doubt factors beyond human control including extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change, cyclical tidal waves and the seasonal monsoon have exacerbated flooding in Jakarta.
“But human factors – including the destruction of the ecosystem due to deforestation, poor urban planning including the unchecked construction of settlements around the Ciliwung riverbank, and dismal garbage disposal choking up the riverbank and gutters around the city – have aggravated its effects.
“Moreover, Jakarta is the fastest sinking city in the world, sinking about 5 to 10cm annually, and up to 25cm a year in some places. Half of the city now sits below sea level.
“The problem has been worsened by an over-extraction of groundwater owing to the city’s rapid construction and a delay in the development of water and sewage systems.
“The combination of these factors is amplifying the impact of freak floods each year.”






Serapis Bey, Master of the 4th Ray, the Ray of Ascension