Building Health Resilience Against the Threat of “Jakarta Sinking”: A Scoping Review
Abstract
In Jakarta, land subsidence amplifies flood risks—often described as the city “sinking”—which increases exposure to waterborne and vector-borne diseases, disrupts essential health services, and undermines health system resilience. This review examines how subsidence-induced flood amplification impacts health and its implications for system resilience. This study employs a literature review approach that combines narrative synthesis with scoping-oriented evidence mapping. Peer-reviewed articles in English or Indonesian (2015–2025) were searched across PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Portal Garuda using the following terms: flooding, Jakarta land subsidence, health impacts, and health system resilience. Data on hazards, populations, health outcomes, and resilience functions were extracted and synthesized thematically following a stepwise screening process based on predefined eligibility criteria. Flooding in Jakarta was consistently associated with a higher risk of waterborne and rodent-associated infections, notably diarrheal diseases and leptospirosis, whereas hydro-climatic variability was linked to an increased risk of dengue. Studies in Jakarta have documented substantial, spatially heterogeneous land subsidence and rainfall patterns conducive to widespread inundation, supporting the framing of the city’s “sinking” as a flood amplifier. The evidence highlights critical gaps in integrating flood risk intelligence with public health surveillance, anticipatory response mechanisms, service continuity, and preparedness capacity. Framing “Jakarta sinking” through a health resilience lens recasts this geophysical problem as a strategic public health challenge. Strengthening resilience requires integrating flood intelligence into routine public health operations, enhancing preparedness and healthcare service continuity, and reinforcing cross-sectoral collaboration to protect vulnerable, flood-prone communities.