
With rains intensifying in the capital over the past few days, the Jakarta administration assured residents that it was prepared for potential floods. "Since October, Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo has instructed all agencies to prepare for possible floods," Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) chief Arfan Arkili said. "We have taken some precautions, including excavating sediment from Jakarta’s rivers, building dredges, reinforcing dams and building the East Flood Canal."