Berangkat dari keinginan memahami “banjir” di Jakarta, saya menyusun pertanyaan untuk memahami adaptasi masyarakat terhadap bencana banjir yang melekat dengan identitas nama Kota Jakarta. Sebagai orang yang juga sering menikmati banjir di Jakarta, saya ingin mengkaji bagaimana masyarakat ‘berdamai’ dengan banjir. Saya kemudian merumuskan kerangka berpikir untuk mengeksplorasi pengalaman sensorik masyarakat dalam menghadapi banjir dan bagaimana pengalaman tersebut mempengaruhi persepsi risiko serta strategi adaptasi mereka. Kerangka analisis yang digunakan saya adalah konsep desensitised disaster perception, sebuah konsep yang menggabungkan unsur-unsur affect dan emotion dalam interaksinya di realitas sosial. Konsep ini mengacu pada bagaimana pengalaman berulang terhadap suatu bencana membuat individu atau komunitas menjadi kurang sensitif terhadap risiko tersebut. Metode penelitian saya meliputi observasi, wawancara mendalam, serta pencarian data publikasi di situs pemerintah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa masyarakat di Sunter Muara bersikap tenang selayaknya berdamai dengan banjir. Mereka memiliki cara unik dengan menanam keyakinan bahwa ada daerah lain yang lebih rentan terdampak banjir dibandingkan mereka. Mereka menganggap bahwa kondisi mereka tidak terlalu mengancam bermodalkan pemikiran “tinggi air cuma sebetis.” Adaptasi lainnya pun nampak dari pemanfaatan ruang atap rumah sebagai area mengungsi saat terjadinya banjir. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa kebiasaan dan pengalaman menghadapi banjir telah membentuk persepsi masyarakat hingga perasaan panik tak lagi membebani persepsi mereka. Penelitian ini memberi gambaran tentang adaptasi masyarakat Jakarta, terutama di daerah dataran rendah, dalam menghidupi situasi banjir. ‘Berdamai’ dengan banjir menunjukkan adaptasi mereka yang tak hanya diwujudkan secara fisik, tapi juga ketubuhan dan pemikiran.

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Starting from a desire to understand the “floods” in Jakarta, the author formulated questions to understand the adaptation of the community to the flood disasters that are closely associated with the identity of Jakarta. As someone who also often experiences floods in Jakarta, the author wanted to study how the community ‘makes peace’ with the floods. The author then developed a framework to explore the sensory experiences of the community in facing floods and how these experiences influence their risk perception and adaptation strategies. The analytical framework used by the author is the concept of desensitised disaster perception, a concept that combines elements of affect and emotion in their interaction within social reality. This concept refers to how repeated experiences of a disaster make individuals or communities less sensitive to the associated risks. The author's research methods included observation, in-depth interviews, and data collection from government websites. The research findings showed that the community in Sunter Muara remained calm as if they had made peace with the floods. They had a unique way of believing that other areas were more vulnerable to floods than their own. They considered their situation not too threatening with the thought, “tinggi air cuma sebetis.” Other adaptations were also evident, such as the use of rooftops as evacuation areas during floods. These findings indicate that the habits and experiences of dealing with floods have shaped the community’s perceptions to the point where panic no longer burdens their perception. This research provides an overview of the adaptation of Jakarta's community, especially in low-lying areas, in living with flood conditions. 'Making peace' with floods shows their adaptation, which is not only manifested physically but also bodily and mentally.