Jakarta - The Sinking of a Metropolis into the Sea

According to experts, Jakarta could be 95 percent underwater by 2050, affecting 30 million people who live in the capital and surrounding suburbs. Climate change is not the only contributing factor to this sinking; the primary issue is that only half of the population is connected to the public water network. Instead, they illegally extract water from self-dug wells, causing the clay and silt ground to increasingly dry out and sink.

Nusantara – the new green capital of Indonesia

According to Indonesian politics, Jakarta's sinking is inevitable. That's why in 2019, the Indonesian Parliament decided to move the country’s capital to the island of Borneo, situated 1,300 kilometers away. The new capital named Nusantara is expected to house 2 million people in an area of 253,000 hectares. Approximately 32 billion Euros have been allocated for its construction. The Indonesian government aims to make Nusantara as sustainable as possible - 75 percent of the city will consist of green spaces. The green city will be powered by smart wastewater systems and renewable energy, with a significant focus on public transport. In addition, the new capital will only allow electrically powered vehicles. Important destinations like workplaces, schools, doctors, or supermarkets should be reachable within 10 minutes by foot or bike. Nusantara is set to replace the metropolis of Jakarta as Indonesia's capital starting September 2024, with 12,000 civil servants starting their work in new offices. However, the final completion is not expected until 2045.

The Flip Side of the Coin

Borneo is a natural paradise, whose flora and fauna were massively threatened even before the start of construction by massive palm oil plantations, coal and gold mining. The rainforests of the island, like the Amazon region, are considered the green lungs of the Earth. They are home to orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, and many other species worth protecting. Conservationists warn of the environmental consequences of overburdening natural resources. 6,000 hectares of forest had to be cleared just for the first construction phase. As a result, the critically endangered orangutan and other wildlife are losing their retreat and habitat. Even the indigenous population living in the region fears the consequences of building the new capital. They worry that their traditional lifestyle, along with all their old customs and rituals, cannot be maintained in the shiny new city in the middle of the forest. In the worst case, they risk losing the land and soil that have always been their habitat – Indonesia's native inhabitants can rarely provide written proof of their land usage rights.

What will Happen to Jakarta?

To prevent the city from sinking, the pumping of groundwater mentioned at the beginning would have to be stopped immediately, but above all the existing corruption prevents the stop and the expansion of alternatives for water supply. The only alternative approved by the government in 2014 for protection against devastating floods is the construction of a 40-kilometer long dike in front of the bay of Jakarta, which is supposed to separate the city behind it from the sea. It is clear that this solution cannot be permanent and save Jakarta, as just three years later, in 2017, Indonesian President Yoko Widodo began searching for a new capital. Jakarta will likely sink into the sea.