Indonesia names its new capital Nusantara

It plans to move the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to the island of Java It was launched early in 2019 at the initiative of President Joko Widodo. He justified his proposal by saying that he wanted to relieve Jakarta, which has a population of more than ten million. The current capital suffers from constant traffic jams, heavy pollution and floods. Built on swampy ground, it is also sinking at an alarming rate. Researchers have estimated that the northern part of the city may have been submerged by 2050.

Now the plan to relocate the capital has been approved by Parliament and the government has revealed the name of the new capital – Nusantara, which means the archipelago. It’s a name familiar to Indonesians who sometimes use it to describe the whole of Indonesia – a country made up of more than 17,000 islands.

When the file DC ready is unclear. Initially, it was said that the transition there could start as early as 2024. But the pandemic delayed the plans and the law adopted on Tuesday does not stipulate a specific year for the transition, only that it will happen over ten years. year period.

It is a giant project that Indonesia is embarking on. In total, about $35 billion, 317 billion Swedish kronor, has been budgeted for the entire move, which means about 1.5 million public employees will have new homes. In addition to infrastructure such as roads, transportation and the Internet.

But Jakarta on the island of Java will not be deserted. The city will continue to be the financial and commercial center of Indonesia, while the government and authorities will move to Nusantara, located on the island of Borneo in East Kalimantan province, about 2,000 kilometers northeast of Jakarta. The government also expects embassies and international organizations to accompany Nusantara, according to the law passed on Tuesday.

The new administrative capital In the middle of the rainforest has been launched by the architects as an opportunity to create an ecological model for the city. But critics have warned that the move will lead to increased devastation in the rainforest, which is home to orangutans and long-nosed monkeys, among other things.

Other critics point out that the large coal companies operating in East Kalimantan contribute to the pollution and will also make money moving the capital, unlike ordinary people. In this case, it contradicts Joko Widodo’s statements that the move will lead to economic redistribution in Indonesia, where most economic activities today take place in Java.

Geographically, the new capital is located in the center of Indonesia, which is another reason to choose this particular location, as it is considered one of the safest in the country. Indonesia is often affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis.