JAKARTA: The Indonesian Parliament on Tuesday issued a law that approved the relocation of the capital from slowly sank Jakarta to a 2,000 kilometer site (1,200 miles) away on Borneo Jungle-Clad Island which will be named “Nusantara”.
Vote House of Representatives provides a legal framework to move, the first time by President Joko Widodo in April 2019, quoting sea level rise and severe congestion on the densely populated Java island.
Home for more than 30 million people in the larger metro area, Jakarta has long been hit by serious infrastructure problems and floods that are exacerbated by climate change, with experts who predict to a third of the city can be under water in 2050.
New capital will Discussing about 56,180 hectares (216 square miles) in East Kalimantan Province in Section Indonesia Kalimantan, which was distributed by the country with Malaysia and Brunei.
Overall, 256,142 hectares are set aside for projects, with additional land intended for potential expansion in the future.
The initial plan for new capital describes the utopian design aimed at creating a “smart” city that is environmentally friendly, but some details have been confirmed.
The plan to start construction in 2020 was hampered by the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic.
The environmental critics of the capital’s steps have warned it can damage the ecosystem in the region, where mining plantations and oil palm has threatened rainforests which are home to endangered species.
On Monday, Widodo said new capital would be one “where people were close to any purpose, where they could cycle and walk everywhere because there was no zero emissions”.
“This (capital) will not only have a government office, we want to build a new smart metropolis that can be a magnet for global talent and innovation center,” he said in a speech at a local university.
“Nusantara”, which means “archipelago”, was chosen from the list of 80 names because it was widely recognized by Indonesians and easily memorized, the Nation’s Minister of Development, Suharso Monoarfa, said Monday.
The new city will be arranged by the body dubbed the state capital authority, with designated leadership in the requirements of five years directly by the President, according to Law Tuesday.
The budget details have not been revealed in the Presidential Decree, although the previous report has set a project fee of $ 33 billion.
Indonesia is not the first country in this region to move from capital of excess population.
Malaysia moved his government to Putrajaya from Kuala Lumpur in 2003, while Myanmar moved his mother to Naypyidaw from Rangoon in 2006.