Indonesia Moving Capital Away From Jakarta to Location in Borneo

ASIAD-2018-OPENING

Indonesia's president announced Monday that the government will move the country's capital city away from the congested and sinking city of Jakarta to a new location near a jungle-covered area on the east of Borneo island.

President Joko Widodo said in his announcement that the new capital will be constructed near the smaller, regional cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda over concerns about the sustainability of Jakarta continuing on as the capital. The move away from Jakarta, which has served as Indonesia's capital since 1949, will be a mammoth and expensive project, Widodo acknowledged in his speech.

"As a large nation that has been independent for 74 years, Indonesia has never chosen its own capital," Widodo said. "The location is very strategic—it's in the center of Indonesia and close to urban areas. The burden Jakarta is holding right now is too heavy as the center of governance, business, finance, trade and services."

The capital's new location is at "minimal risk" for natural disasters, and the government already owns a large chunk (445,000 acres) of the land there.

"Jakarta will continue to be a megacity—as a center for finance and commerce—for a few more decades, but ultimately it is at severe risk to climate change," he added.

Officials have previously said a relocation of the government services to the new area will likely cost around 486 trillion rupiah ($34 billion) and could take around ten years to complete. The new area is mostly home to mining activities as well as rainforests and one of the few places on the planet that has orangutans in their natural habitat.

Indonesia's current capital city, Jakarta, is one of the most populous cities on the planet, with more than 10 million people living there and an estimated 30 million living in the greater metropolitan area. The city is also sinking fast into the Java Sea, thanks to an over-extraction of groundwater and is prone to flooding because it sits on swampy ground. Experts warn that one-third of the city could be submerged by 2050 if the current rate continues.

The city also faces problems like severe traffic problems, a worsening pollution crisis, and even earthquakes.

No name has been announced for the new site, and it still requires parliament's approval for the capital to be moved.

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content