This seems like a step in the right direction.
But the problems of environmental imbalance that affect the watersheds upstream of Jakarta are bigger than just a few dozen villas. It’s not just the upper elevations that affect the whole watershed; the lower elevations and flatter lands nearer the city used to absorb and retain water and buffer the fluctuations in seasonal flow from upstream.

Now these areas are densely built up. Water table fluctuations are no longer buffered. Floods in Jakarta. Nevertheless, tightening the reins on willy-nilly illegal villa building is definitely a step in the right direction. Especially if enforcement is non-discriminative (no “blind eye” for “friends”).

Big thumbs up.

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