jakartathe fourth largest city on the planet (30 million people, including the metropolitan area) will be relocated due to climate change and natural disasters to which it is prone. Nusantara will be the new capital of Indonesia and is currently being built on the island of Borneo, but the environmental and social impact of this massive project has sparked great controversy.
The forest east of the island of Borneo begins to be delineated with roads and signs, the first step the Government has undertaken for the construction of Indonesia’s new capital. about A macro project with biblical proportions that is justified for ecological reasons but will also have a major impactaccording to warning experts and ecologists.
Administration promises “sustainable forest city” It is a project that puts the environment first and aims to be carbon neutral by 2045. it will actually destroy the environment, further reducing the habitat of endangered animals such as orangutans, and displacing indigenous peoples. Those who depend on the land for their livelihood.
Indonesia began construction of the new capital under President Joko Widodo in the middle of last year. The current capital, Jakarta, is completely overcrowded and polluted, prone to earthquakes and sinking rapidly into the Java Sea.ceases to be capital. The rise in sea level due to climate change and exposure to extreme weather events due to global warming caused such a decision.
Twice the size of New York
Plans for new capital The area will be about twice the size of New York City., they are great. Officials praise the creation of a futuristic green city focused on forests, parks and food production that will use renewable energy sources, “smart” waste management and green buildings.
“We need to think beyond what’s happening today and try to address the future,” said Bambang Susantono, head of the Nusantara National Capital Authority, talking about the city’s layout and its ability to respond to future changes.
Virtual recreations by the government show a city surrounded by forests with people walking on tree-lined sidewalks and buildings with vegetation-covered roofs and walkways, as well as ponds, clear streams, and buildings surrounded by lush forests.
7,000 workers on the move
The architecture of the buildings is inspired by modern skyscrapers combined with traditional Indonesian architecture: the presidential palace in the shape of the garuda (the legendary bird and Indonesia’s national symbol) and other buildings that give a stylistic nod to traditional architecture. indigenous groups on the islands
In its current form, the new city is far from the smooth finish its planners have shown, but progress is already being made. Indonesian Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, said in February: The city’s infrastructure is already 14% complete.
About 7,000 construction workers are busy clearing the land and carrying out the first stages. urbanization. Temporary dormitories for workers and a helipad are already in use. The construction of important buildings such as the presidential palace is expected to be completed in August 2024.
Sites visited by the Associated Press agency in early March showed piles of earth recently removed by excavators and cranes around them. At least one site has a QR code sign that visitors can scan to see in 3D images what the area will look like when completed; others have printed signs showing what will happen.
The government assured that it was working to protect the environment. There are signs of a certain ecological respect in the construction: areas with trees are fenced off to protect them from machinery, and a nursery has already begun for government replanting.
Environmental and domestic criticism
But conservation organizations warn Building this metropolis will accelerate deforestation in one of the world’s oldest and largest rainforest enclaves.. The forests, called the lungs of the earth, absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that warms the planet and are home to numerous wildlife species. The island is already badly affected by palm oil plantations and coal mines. destroying large areas of forest.
Dwi Sawung, an infrastructure expert at the Indonesian Living Environment Forum, an environmental nonprofit monitoring the new capital project, said: Government plans do not take into account the region’s unique wildlife, such as orangutans and sun bears. In fact, the new city crosses an important animal corridor.
“First the animals have to be moved, then the construction begins,” he says. “But because they had to hurry, they built the area without reintroducing the animals first.”
Experts also expressed their concerns about the power to govern the new capital. While the government promised that the city would be based on a “smart energy” system, Conservationists worry that some of the coal-fired power plants in the region will actually be used.
Indonesia has significant energy potential from solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind and other sources, but only about 12% of it is used, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. And while public transport can reduce the number of private cars on city streets, A large number of flights are likely, with increased emissions, between the new capital and Jakarta, about 1,300 kilometers away. that this air traffic will require.
“We don’t want to move”
Indigenous groups residing in the area, who have already lost some of their land, fear that the new capital’s urban expansion could make things worse.
The administration is determined to respect the rights of indigenous peoples and to compensate those who have lost their homes.. Local officials have said they will verify all land claims based on title documents, but most of the land is passed from father to son without any paperwork, and not all tribal territories are officially recognized.
“We don’t want to relocate. We don’t want our ancestors’ graves to be moved, we don’t want changes, we don’t want our house to be removed.”said.
Bambang Susantono, Chairman of the Nusantara Capital Authority, added that local residents have “several options”, including compensation, relocation or joint ownership of shops to open. “Let’s hope they understand that this is for everyone’s good.” specifies.
But as Indonesia continues to attract investors, construction is progressing and the government plans to officially open the city on August 17 next year, to coincide with Indonesian Independence Day.
“Nusantara is the city of tomorrow”said Susantono. “It will be a vibrant city, not just a government city.”
……..
Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]