As Jakarta Sinks, President Plans Relocation

What's the story?

• Indonesia's president, Joko Widodo, is addressing Jakarta's sinking issue by building a new capital city called Nusantara.
• The construction of Nusantara, situated 800 miles from Jakarta on the island of Borneo, is currently underway. However, progress has fallen behind schedule, jeopardizing plans to open the new capital in August 2024, before Widodo's final term ends.
• While residential towers have yet to be constructed, safety concerns have been raised by lead architect Sibarani Sofian, such as how the ground will react to such a load under tight construction deadlines.
• Environmentalists are concerned that building a 256,000-hectare (990-square-mile) city will result in extreme deforestation, posing a threat to endangered species like orangutans and jeopardizing the residences of Indigenous communities.

Why is Jakarta sinking?

• 40% of Jakarta already lies below sea level. Climate change has contributed to this, raising Java Sea levels by a fraction of an inch each year. 
• Flooding has also been a longstanding issue for Jakarta. As a major port city, Jakarta is situated on a delta, with 13 rivers passing through it from the south's mountains on their journey to Jakarta Bay. 
• Another cause is the widespread digging of wells underneath the city by Jakartans seeking clean water, which has significantly depleted Jakarta's marshes. City residents often face issues with poor water quality and disruptions in the piped water supply provided by local authorities.

Alternative solutions

• Parid Ridwanuddin, a campaign manager at the Indonesia Environmental Forum, said the capital city transfer is "moving the ecological crises to another location." Ridwanuddin suggested prioritizing the revitalization of coastal areas through mangrove reforestation and restoring building-heavy riverbanks to their natural state.

What do you think? Is constructing a new capital city a feasible climate change solution?

-Laura Woods

(Photo Credit: Flickr/Juxta Willis)