Jakarta is sinking: Indonesia is building a new capital in the jungle | Life & Knowledge
The 11 million metropolis of Jakarta is sinking into the sea – by up to 20 centimeters per year! Climate change and increasing extreme weather events are to blame. That's why Indonesia is getting a new capital. Its name: Nusantara, which means “outer island” in English. The 33 billion dollar project is not yet finished and is even behind schedule. Nevertheless, the government celebrated on Saturday: for the first time, the main celebrations for Indonesia's Independence Day took place in Nusantara.
Everything will be better in Jakarta 2.0
Nusantara is planned as a “smart city”: a green, ultra-modern and intelligent city, surrounded by lush rainforests in the middle of the jungle. It is intended to be a model for a large city, with an intelligent sewage system and many cycle paths. renewable energy and the expansion of public transport networks.
In order to build Nusantara with its access roads, a lot of rainforest had to be cut down and the local population had to be relocated
A large part of the construction work on the billion-dollar project has already been completed, so that the government apparatus can move in gradually. This mainly affects politicians, civil servants, police officers and members of the military.
President Joko Widodo, who will remain in office until October, already lives there. A total of two million people will be added by 2045. The new capital will be four times larger than Jakarta, which is 1,300 kilometers away.
Spacious green spaces, modern buildings – this is what the new Indonesian capital looks like
Jakarta is no longer livable
Things are going to be different when we start anew. We want to get away from Smogtraffic jams, littering and sewage problems – at least that's the government's plan. The rest of the population, primarily the poor, are left behind in the sinking city.
Every year Jakarta is hit by floods
The soil in Jakarta is swampy, the land is crossed by rivers. Due to the heavy development, the ground sinks significantly every year, so that large parts of the metropolis are now below sea level. At the same time, most of the areas are sealed, concrete and houses dominate. This means that rainwater cannot drain away.
The poorest people in particular live in unstable shacks in the north of the city, which is regularly affected by flooding and overflowing sewers. Experts believe that North Jakarta will be completely flooded by 2050. Nusantara, according to current estimates, could be built by 2045.