The causes of overpopulation in Jakarta can be explained by a multitude of social-economic and environmental circumstances that have transformed the demographic landscape in the city.
Urbanization is the primary cause of Jakarta's overpopulation: Transfer from the countryside to cities due to the vision of access to more jobs and better living has caused a shift in demographics, influenced significantly by industrial revolution and establishment of large industrial centers of production, which has attracted a migrant workforce from places throughout (IASSF, 2024). So, by making urban areas like Jakarta the target for people who aspire to better economics, it literally produces a population boom that exceeds all plans within the city itself.
Easily accessible modes of transport have also helped facilitate such movement; for example, people from the surrounding areas commute to Jakarta and work here, resulting in an exponential increase in both permanent and transient residents. Hence, this is another screaming scenario of how overloaded and strained the resources of the city become (BBC News Indonesia, 2010). The swift growth of vehicle ownership, which indeed goes a step ahead of the development of roads, has led to the problems of traffic congestion stretching into the daily lives of residents (Kumparan, 2021).
The other factor contributing to high population growth is the socio-economic gap between urban thus compared to rural areas. Many flock into Jakarta to escape poverty and a better standard of living; however, it is often seen that the lower rate has led to overcrowded living and increased informal settlements or slum areas, leaving most services absent (World Bank, 2011). The fact that housing is not available at subsidized rates forces many newcomers to live in unguaranteed conditions premature, which only replicates the downtrodden cycle of poverty and social disparity.
Overpopulation has also worsened environmental hazards such as flooding and pollution. It is a fact that the infrastructure in Jakarta is not ready to serve the larger population's increased demand for clean water and waste services, with the consequences widely felt in the case of environmental degradation (Kumparan, 2022).
Thus, in summary, the reality of overpopulation in Jakarta comes from a multitude of factors, such as urbanization as a result of economic opportunities, underdeveloped infrastructures, socio-economic disparity across regions, and environmental issues. A conscious effort to this with all the government and community stakeholders is required to sustainably develop living conditions at the same time manage population growth effectively.
