Indonesia will resume land reclamation that will help prevent Jakarta from sinking below sea level, five months after work was suspended because of regulatory and environmental concerns. Greater Jakarta, one of the world's most densely populated cities, sits on a swampy plain and is sinking at a faster rate than any other city in the world. Efforts to bolster defences include a 24-kilometre sea wall and upgrading the flood canal system.
Indonesia's highest Islamic council has issued a fatwa against burning land and forests in an effort to halt the toxic smog that blankets the region each year. The fatwa is not legally binding but is aimed at discouraging plantation companies and farmers from clearing land using slash-and-burn methods. Last year's fires were among the worst in Asean history, with billions of dollars worth of environmental damage, weeks of air flight and school disruptions, and thousands of cases of respiratory disease.