Jakarta groundwater: victim of its own success

The origin and setting of the extensive aquifer systems that underlie Jakarta (the capital city of Indonesia), and the impacts that have resulted from their largely unchecked exploitation, are described. The ready availability of groundwater has been key to the city’s growth and prosperity, but it has come at a cost. Jakarta is now the most rapidly subsiding capital city in the world and subject to frequent flooding. These impacts have become major factors in the decision to relocate to a new capital city, named Nusantara, currently under construction on the island of Borneo.