Indonesia Capital Flooded
Rivers burst their banks in Jakarta on Sunday after days of rain killing at least 20 people and forcing almost 340,000 people from their homes, according to the Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/722/story/980653.html. Some places are 13 feet deep in water and Indonesia's meteorological agency is forecasting two more weeks of rain.
The Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-02042007jakarta,0,2535431.story?coll=la-home-headlines said, "Environment Minister Racmat Witoelar blamed poor urban planning." Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso was criticized five years ago when the city of 12 million flooded and he blamed deforestation in Puncak, saying it had destroyed water catchment areas.