Jakarta, located on the island of Java, is currently the most populous city in Southeast Asia and one of the most populated in the world, with approximately 10 million inhabitants. In addition to this problem of overpopulation, what is still the capital of Indonesia faces other complications, including high levels of air and water pollution, as well as a high propensity for earthquakes.
However, the issue of greatest concern at present is the fact that Jakarta is approximately 40% below sea level, making it the the fastest sinking city in the world, according to the World Economic Forum. Thus, forecasts indicate that, by 2050, around a third of the city will be submerged in the Java Sea. Not only climate change is responsible for this problem, but also the excessive extraction of groundwater for use by city dwellers.
These were the problems that led the country’s president, Joko Widodo, to announce, in 2019, the decision to move the Indonesian capital. The city of Nusantara, located to the east of the island of Borneo, was chosen to replace Jakarta as the capital, although it is not yet built.
Nusantara: the “sustainable city”
Seeking to respond to current and future environmental challenges, the new capital of Indonesia promises to be a “sustainable forest city”, surrounded by forests, with low carbon emissions, and ensuring the well-being of the population. There is a guarantee from the government that there will be, in the construction process of this new city, a concern with the preservation of the environment, betting on a more conscious construction and the use of renewable energy.
The choice of the word “Nusantara” for the new capital is related to the fact that this is the designation used by Indonesians to refer to the “archipelago”. With a dimension of around 400 square kilometers, the new capital is expected to require an investment of approximately 30 billion euros. However, the government promises that Nusantara will be a source of growth for the Indonesian economy.
Although the opening of this city is scheduled for August next year (the 17th, Indonesia’s independence day), it will not be completed, in principle, before 2045. Nusantara will be the new political center of the country, although Jakarta will remain a financial center.
The reactions of activists to this project
The project to change the capital of Indonesia, however, has been raising concerns among environmental activists, who call attention to the environmental impact associated with the construction of the city of Nusantara. Thus, they point to issues such as the deforestation that this project will entail, as well as the negative consequences that it may have on the fauna of the region, affecting species such as orangutans, leopards, sun bears, among others.
Activists for the rights of indigenous peoples have also spoken out about the construction of the new capital, since the works forced hundreds of indigenous Balik to seek new homes. Despite the fact that the Indonesian government guarantees that these people will be compensated and relocated, activists are unhappy with the implications that the construction of the new capital will have on the lives of indigenous peoples.
Source: TSF
