Floods have become synonymous with the living experience of people residing in Jakarta. For hundreds of years, dealing with floods every year has become a part of the people`s life in this city, which was under Dutch occupation from 1619 to 1949, and known as Batavia during that time.

Instead of coming up with a solution to handle the annual flooding of Jakarta, especially during the rainy season, policy makers and hydrologists have been unable to reach a consensus regarding an appropriate solution for this problem. Dutch national Jan Pieterzn Coen built Batavia nearly four centuries ago as a waterfront city, and constructed canals in Jakarta, which were similar to ones in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. 

"The plan is there, but how can you implement it? It needs support, involvement, cooperation of all stakeholders, despite their personal wishes, desires and interests," Dr Wim Ravesteijn, an associate professor and head of the Technology Dynamics and Sustainable Development at the Technology University of Delft (TUD) in the Netherlands said recently, during a colloquium held by the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) Delft in Jakarta.

Ravesteijn, who has also authored the book, "For Profit and Prosperity, The Contribution made by Dutch Engineers to Public Works in Indonesia" said the problem of flooding in Jakarta required not only the role of technical engineering but also that of engineering policy experts.

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