Indonesia will have a new capital. The decision was made in 2019 and then approved two years ago: Jakarta it is sinking and after the terrible flood of 2007 the protection measures – effectively walls to contain the water – are no longer enough also because the episodes are becoming more frequent and violent. So on August 17, although not yet ready, the new city of Nusantara was formally inaugurated as the new capital of Indonesiaon the occasion of the 79th anniversary of its independence.
Nusantara, the new capital of Indonesia
Nusantara is located about 2 thousand km north-east of Jakartaon the island of Borneo. The work to build it has not yet been completed and therefore the celebrations took place amidst the construction sites and in the presence of many fewer people than expected: 1,300 instead of 8 thousand.
Nusantara is located in the Indonesian region of Kalimantan, an area larger than 500 thousand square kilometers and almost completely occupied by rainforests. Therefore, as it is easy to imagine, a lot of deforestation is taking place for its construction, which among other things is also threatening the survival of the Bornean Orangutanwhich already lives in a critical situation due to oil palm monocultures.
The idea of ​​moving the capital here was taken by outgoing president Joko Widodo (his second mandate will expire in October) and approved in 2022, the year in which work began immediately. And in his intentions the new city will have to be a hub of innovation and sustainability.
What will happen to Jakarta?
There would be nothing to celebrate, however, given the decision to move the capital of Indonesia it is the result of the sum of a lot of problems: the city is congested since trafficis densely populated (has 10 million inhabitants), is very pollutedthere are no parks or cultural or meeting spaces and is subject to floods which have become increasingly violent in recent years. But especially over the years Groundwater management has been so poorly done which, together with sea level rise, is doing so sink. In some areas the ground is sinking by 15 cm per year.
Of Jakarta’s 10 million citizens, only the richest ones will be able to move to the new capitalNusantara, together obviously with the institutions and the political establishment, while all the others will remain stuck in a continuously sinking capital.
Work in Nusantara, the new capital of Indonesia
However, work on Nusantara is progressing slowly. For various reasons. On the one hand the government is struggling to find the necessary funds for the worksestimated at more than 30 billion euros. The Indonesian state finances 20% of the sum, but there is a lack of international investors interested in participating in the project. And then there are the “geographical” problems which slow down the works which, according to estimates made by the government, will not be finished before 2045.
Source: Vanity Fair
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