Published: 16th Mar, 2023
Context
Recently, Indonesian government authorities unveiled the site of the country’s new capital, from Jakarta to Borneo.
Key-highlights:
- The proposed location—near the regional cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda—is an area at "minimal" risk of natural disasters.
- Borneo is a large island in Southeast Asia that is divided among three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
- Borneo is the third largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea.
About Jakarta (the Indonesian Island):
- Jakarta is the largest city and capital of Indonesia.
- The city lies on the northwest coast of Java at the mouth of the Ciliwung (Liwung River), on Jakarta Bay (an embayment of the Java Sea).
- It is coextensive with the metropolitan district of Greater Jakarta (Jakarta Raya).
- Jakarta is home to about 10 million people and three times that number in the greater metropolitan area.
Problems surrounding the city:
- Jakarta lies on a low, flat alluvial plain with historically extensive swampy areas.
- It is easily flooded during the rainy season.
- The draining of swamps for building purposes and the continuous decrease of upland forest vegetation has increased the danger of floods.
- With such an excess of water in the soil, Jakarta has a shortage of clean drinking water, for which there is increasing demand.
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The area is quite fertile for fruit and other horticulture, as most of the soil is of old volcanic origin. |
Why is government planning to the change the capital?
- Sinking land: Jakarta is congested, polluted, prone to earthquakes, and rapidly sinking into the Java Sea.
- It has been described as the world’s most rapidly sinking city and it is estimated that one-third of the city could be submerged by 2050.
- Causes: The main cause is uncontrolled ground water extraction, but it has been exacerbated by the rising Java Sea due to climate change.
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