Plight of the Phoenix

The existing capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, is the fastest sinking city in the world due to a combination of factors such as rising sea levels, groundwater extraction, and heavy urbanisation. This has caused severe problems such as flooding, land subsidence, and loss of coastal areas.

To tackle this issue, the Indonesian government has announced plans to move the capital city to a new location on the island of Borneo. The new city, Nusantara, will be built from scratch and designed to be more sustainable and resilient to natural disasters.

The decision to relocate the capital has been met with both support and criticism. While some see it as a necessary step to address the sinking of Jakarta and distribute economic development more evenly across the country, others question the feasibility and cost of such a massive undertaking, especially to the vital forests of Borneo.

The process of building the new capital began in 2022 with the goal of completing the first phase by August 2024.