The capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta, is congested, prone to earthquakes, polluted and rapidly sinking into the Sea due to the rising effect of climate change. To combat these issues, the government has decided to move the country’s capital to the island of Borneo. Joko Widodo, the President, envisions the construction of a new capital as a solution to the problems that have beset Jakarta. He plans to reduce its population while also allowing the country to start fresh with a ‘sustainable city’ that is integrated with its natural environment, has good public transportation and is in an area that’s not prone to natural calamities.
“The construction of the new capital city is not merely a physical move of government offices,” said the President, known by the nickname Jokowi. “The main goal is to build a smart new city, a new city that is competitive at the global level, to build a new locomotive for the transformation – toward an Indonesia based on innovation and technology, based on a green economy.”
