Remember learning about the capital cities of the World in our childhood? What if I was to tell you that changing the capital city of a country is also a possibility.
On January 18, 2020, Indonesia has passed a bill to move its capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan. The new capital city of the country will be called Nusantara which translates to “archipelago” in Javanese. Jakarta has been Indonesia’s capital since the country became independent in 1949.
There will be 5 stages of development in the new capital city and the first stage is expected to begin in 2022. The new project is likely to cost around 466 trillion rupiahs ($32 billion).
What brought the decision of changing the capital City?
In simple words, Jakarta "sits on swampy land" and is one of the fastest-sinking cities on Earth. It is also prone to flooding. A third of the city could be underwater by 2050, according to environmental experts. To explain it better-
• The northern part of Jakarta that meets the Java sea has been sinking 25 centimetres a year and it is affecting the 10 million people living in the city.
• Jakarta does not have access to clean overground water and is dependent on drilled borewells to extract groundwater for its population. Due to overpopulation, the number of pumps increased. As more water was sucked out of the ground, the land above began to drop which accelerated the rate at which the city is shrinking.
• Jakarta is built on a delta but 40 per cent of it is below sea level. This combined with sea-level rise and an inefficient water management system means that Jakarta gets flooded very frequently.
• Jakarta faces other environmental threats with the city's air quality plunging over the last few months.
Where is Nusantara located?
East Kalimantan, situated in the east of Borneo island is about 2,000 kilometres away from Jakarta. The total land area for Nusantara will be around 256,143 hectares (around 2,561 square kilometres) -- almost all of it converted from the forest area.
Why was Nusantara chosen?
Nusantara was chosen because it reflected Indonesia's geography, and is more central in Indonesia's archipelago of 17,000 islands.
What does the Gov't aim to achieve with this relocation?
The Government is aiming to redistribute the wealth with this relocation. Since Kalimantan is almost four times bigger than Jakarta, Population will also be distributed. While Jakarta will remain Indonesia's commercial and financial centre, government administrative functions will move. The government also aims not to disturb any existing protected forest and instead to rehabilitate it.
What are the challenges with the relocation?
Kalimantan is known for its forests and orangutan population. Also, major mining activities take place in this area. Critics argue that the construction of Nusantara will lead to the expansion of palm-oil plantations and logging in an area rich in diverse wildlife and lush rainforests,
Even though there are strong protests against the shifting, Indonesia is moving ahead with its most ambitious project yet.
How unusual is it to move your capital?
Previously, Brazil, Myanmar, Egypt and Kazakhstan had moved their capitals.
As per reports, by 2050 about 95 per cent of North Jakarta will be submerged.
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