Jakarta is crowded, polluted, quake-prone, and speedily sinking into the Java Sea. The government has officially left, and preparations are underway to relocate the capital of Indonesia to the island of Borneo.

Overcrowded and contaminated, susceptible to earthquakes, and rapidly subsiding into the Java Sea, Jakarta is a city in peril. There is currently a departure underway as the government relocates to Borneo, a nearby island where the new capital will be located.

Authorities in Indonesia have stated that their planned megalopolis will be environmentally focused and carbon-neutral by the year 2045. This “proper environmental city” is central to their plans.

However, environmentalists say the capital will lead to widespread habitat destruction, jeopardise the homes of Indigenous people, and wipe out wildlife habitats like those used by orangutans.

The Associated Press was granted rare access to the construction project of the new capital in early March in order to report on the project’s progress.

The reasons for the relocation, the administration’s plans, and the concerns of environmentalists, conservationists, and Indigenous peoples who live in close proximity to the proposed development site are all discussed below.

Is there a particular reason for Indonesia to relocate its capital?

About 10 million individuals reside in Jakarta and another 3 million live in the surrounding metropolitan region. It is believed to be the world’s fastest-sinking city, and a third of it could be underwater by 2050 if current trends continue. The increasing Java Sea as a result of climate change has contributed to the problem, but the principal reason is unregulated groundwater excavation.

Air and groundwater pollution is severe, flooding occurs frequently, and road congestion is predicted to cost the economy $4.5 billion annually.

President Joko Widodo hopes that by creating an entirely new capital city, Jakarta’s challenges will be resolved and the country can begin again with a “sustainable future.”

What will the brand-new Capital look like?

Nusantara is an ancient Javanese word that means “archipelago,” and Widodo plans to establish an additional city there. This will necessitate the construction of new government buildings and residential areas.

The city is situated about 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) northeast of Jakarta, and it was originally predicted that more than 1.5 million civil servants would be transferred there. However, the precise figure is still being tallied by multiple government departments.

According to Bambang Susantono, chief of the Nusantara National Capital Authority, the new national capital would then implement the “Sustainable city” principle, with 65-70% of the region being reforested.

It is anticipated that the city will officially open on August 17 of the following year, which will line up with Independence Day in Indonesia. The officials in charge of the newly established capital have stated that the final phase of the city won’t necessarily be finished until 2045, which will coincide with the one-hundredth anniversary of the nation.

What causes environmentalists to worry?

However, sceptics are worried about the negative ecological consequences of constructing a sprawling city covering 256,000 hectares (990 square miles) in Borneo’s East Kalimantan region, which is currently inhabited by orangutans, cheetahs, and a diverse range of other wild animal species.

In November 2022, Forest Watch Indonesia, an Indonesian non – governmental organisation that supervises forest management challenges, notified that the majority of the wooded areas in the new capital are “development forests,” – this means authorisations could be allowed for reforestation and resource extraction activities that would deforest them.

AP statistics revealed more high-temperature days in the future.

What impact does this have on indigenous communities?

As the project site continues to expand, at least 5 different settlements with over 100 Indigenous Balik citizens will be uprooted. Local community members supported the new capital, and the administration compensated landowners.