Opinion: Indonesia moves its sinking

capital, a lesson for other cities

By John Englander, Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.09.19
Word Count 843
Level 960L

Image 1. The central business district skyline is seen during the dusk in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia's decades-long
discussion about building a new capital has inched forward after President Joko Widodo approved a long-term plan for the
government to abandon overcrowded, sinking and polluted Jakarta. Photo by: Dita Alangkara/AP

Indonesia made a surprising announcement on April 29. The country said it will
relocate its capital from Jakarta. The decision follows decades of warnings about
the city's dangerous flood risk due to sinking land and rising seas.

While Jakarta is especially threatened by rising seas, it serves as a wake-up call

for hundreds of major cities. This includes the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.

In making his decision, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the move is
necessary. The city can no longer support its population of 10 million residents in
the face of environmental threats. There are also concerns of traffic jams and
water shortages.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Sank More Than 10 Feet In 30 Years

Surely at the top of Widodo's concerns is the fact that the city is sinking, a
process called subsidence. In the past 30 years, Jakarta sank more than 10 feet.
The problem has become worse as the world's great ice sheets melt.

The melting is due to climate change.

Scientists believe the Earth is getting
warmer because of humans' overuse of
fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. Burning the
fuels creates greenhouse gases that trap
heat in the Earth's atmosphere.

Jakarta is an extreme case, but it is by no

means unique. In the United States, major
cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana, and
Norfolk, Virginia, are also sinking, though not nearly as fast. Even still, all coastal
cities must face up to rising seas. There is no time to waste in planning and
adapting to this threat.

"King Tides"

Although Miami, Florida, is often cited as the city most at risk, there are many
highly threatened — and crowded — cities around the world, including: Mumbai
and Calcutta, India; Shanghai, China; Lagos, Nigeria; Manila, Philippines; Dhaka,
Bangladesh; Bangkok, Thailand; Copenhagen, Denmark; Tokyo, Japan; London,
England; Houston, Texas; and Tampa, Florida. In fact, thousands of coastal cities
and rural communities are not only at risk, but already experience increased
flooding during extreme high tides, referred to as "king tides."

The swelling oceans demand that we start designing for and investing in the
future now. The latest projections for average global sea-level rise this century
show a possible range. The rise could be anywhere from 3 to 8 feet. Keeping it to
the lower part of that range largely depends on extreme global efforts to reduce
greenhouse gases far beyond current efforts. However, even a 1-foot rise in sea
level can greatly increase coastal flooding. Hundreds of millions of people and
trillions of dollars of property and businesses are at risk.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

Indonesia's decision to be proactive is something all coastal cities should do. It's
what I call "intelligent adaptation." A city like Jakarta could spend hundreds of
millions of dollars on hopeless efforts to protect Jakarta from the dozen rivers
running through it. It could extend fragile walls never engineered to handle this
threat. Instead, though, it will adjust by putting money into a new capital city with
a safe future that's built to last.

U.S. Needs A Plan, Too

Meanwhile, in the United States, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently
announced that the combination of rising seas and subsidence will make the $14
billion fix to New Orleans' levees, riverbanks built to stop flooding, inadequate in
just four years. Clearly, we need a new plan, too.

Drastically reducing carbon emissions could allow us to avoid the worst outcomes.
However, sea-level rise probably cannot be stopped this century. The planet has
already warmed almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit, which means ice sheets and
glaciers will continue to melt for centuries.

"Resiliency" has become the new buzzword for building to protect against the
elements. It's a great idea to prepare for short-duration flood events such as
hurricanes. Yet preparing for rising sea level is different and requires adapting to
a new normal.

Though it is tempting to procrastinate, cities would be smart to begin their

adaptation planning now. Adaptation can be a huge economic opportunity.

Coastal communities should be crafting 30-year plans to address the threat. For
example, Washington, D.C., is on the Potomac, a tidal river. It already experiences
occasional flooding during extreme high tides and stormy weather. Rising seas
will make that worse, but the city can probably protect itself with various forms of
floodwalls on the river. Most threatened cities are not so fortunate and will need
to look at a full range of options.

In Jakarta, the solution was to move the capital. Indonesia recognizes a new
normal, allowing the country to truly invest in the future. It's time for all coastal
communities to plan for the future.

The sea is rising. We must rise with the tide.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3

Quiz

1 Which sentence from the article shows how Indonesia will solve its problem with Jakarta?

(A) While Jakarta is especially threatened by rising seas, it serves as a wake-up call
for hundreds of major cities.

(B) A city like Jakarta could spend hundreds of millions of dollars on hopeless
efforts to protect Jakarta from the dozen rivers running through it.

(C) It could extend fragile walls never engineered to handle this threat.

(D) Instead, though, it will adjust by putting money into a new capital city with a safe
future that's built to last.

2 Read the section "U.S. Needs A Plan, Too."

Select the paragraph from the section that suggests there is little we can do now to prevent the
seas from rising.

(A) Meanwhile, in the United States, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently
announced that the combination of rising seas and subsidence will make the
$14 billion fix to New Orleans' levees, riverbanks built to stop flooding,
inadequate in just four years. Clearly, we need a new plan, too.

(B) Drastically reducing carbon emissions could allow us to avoid the worst
outcomes. However, sea-level rise probably cannot be stopped this century.
The planet has already warmed almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit, which means ice
sheets and glaciers will continue to melt for centuries.

(C) "Resiliency" has become the new buzzword for building to protect against the
elements. It's a great idea to prepare for short-duration flood events such as
hurricanes. Yet preparing for rising sea level is different and requires adapting
to a new normal.

(D) In Jakarta, the solution was to move the capital. Indonesia recognizes a new
normal, allowing the country to truly invest in the future. It's time for all coastal
communities to plan for the future.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4

3 Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) In the United States, major cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana, and Norfolk,
Virginia, are also sinking, though not nearly as fast.

(B) In fact, thousands of coastal cities and rural communities are not only at risk,
but already experience increased flooding during extreme high tides, referred to
as "king tides."

(C) Keeping it to the lower part of that range largely depends on extreme global
efforts to reduce greenhouse gases far beyond current efforts.

(D) Rising seas will make that worse, but the city can probably protect itself with
various forms of floodwalls on the river.

4 Read the following sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].

The city can no longer support its population of 10 million residents in the
face of environmental threats.

How does this detail develop the author’s central idea?

(A) It explains how Indonesia resolved the issues it faced in Jakarta.

(B) It explains the new problems that Indonesia will face after moving its capital.

(C) It highlights the reason why Indonesia decided to move its capital.

(D) It highlights a typical challenge that all coastal cities are experiencing.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5

Answer Key

1 Which sentence from the article shows how Indonesia will solve its problem with Jakarta?

(A) While Jakarta is especially threatened by rising seas, it serves as a wake-up call
for hundreds of major cities.

(B) A city like Jakarta could spend hundreds of millions of dollars on hopeless
efforts to protect Jakarta from the dozen rivers running through it.

(C) It could extend fragile walls never engineered to handle this threat.

(D) Instead, though, it will adjust by putting money into a new capital city with
a safe future that's built to last.

2 Read the section "U.S. Needs A Plan, Too."

Select the paragraph from the section that suggests there is little we can do now to prevent the
seas from rising.

(A) Meanwhile, in the United States, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently
announced that the combination of rising seas and subsidence will make the
$14 billion fix to New Orleans' levees, riverbanks built to stop flooding,
inadequate in just four years. Clearly, we need a new plan, too.

(B) Drastically reducing carbon emissions could allow us to avoid the worst
outcomes. However, sea-level rise probably cannot be stopped this
century. The planet has already warmed almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit,
which means ice sheets and glaciers will continue to melt for centuries.

(C) "Resiliency" has become the new buzzword for building to protect against the
elements. It's a great idea to prepare for short-duration flood events such as
hurricanes. Yet preparing for rising sea level is different and requires adapting
to a new normal.

(D) In Jakarta, the solution was to move the capital. Indonesia recognizes a new
normal, allowing the country to truly invest in the future. It's time for all coastal
communities to plan for the future.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6

3 Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) In the United States, major cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana, and Norfolk,
Virginia, are also sinking, though not nearly as fast.

(B) In fact, thousands of coastal cities and rural communities are not only at
risk, but already experience increased flooding during extreme high tides,
referred to as "king tides."

(C) Keeping it to the lower part of that range largely depends on extreme global
efforts to reduce greenhouse gases far beyond current efforts.

(D) Rising seas will make that worse, but the city can probably protect itself with
various forms of floodwalls on the river.

4 Read the following sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].

The city can no longer support its population of 10 million residents in the
face of environmental threats.

How does this detail develop the author’s central idea?

(A) It explains how Indonesia resolved the issues it faced in Jakarta.

(B) It explains the new problems that Indonesia will face after moving its capital.

(C) It highlights the reason why Indonesia decided to move its capital.

(D) It highlights a typical challenge that all coastal cities are experiencing.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 7