Nusantara
Nusantara, planned capital of Indonesia, located in East Kalimantan province near the city of Balikpapan. Construction began in 2022, and the first residents are expected to arrive in 2024. The project is scheduled for completion by 2045.
Background, site, and construction plan
Indonesian officials have discussed relocating the capital for decades, as the current capital, Jakarta, is severely overpopulated and susceptible to flooding (due to its location below sea level and ongoing environmental degradation). In 2019 Pres. Joko Widodo announced a plan to build a new capital to which the administrative state would relocate. The site, an area of roughly 965 square miles (2,500 square km), was chosen partly because of its low risk of natural disasters—it is inland in an area with few earthquakes and volcanoes, both common threats in Indonesia—and partly to lessen the inequality that persists in Indonesia between the most populous island, Java, and the outlying islands. The location of Nusantara on the island of Borneo is thus considered a political statement on the importance of developing the nation as a whole.
The majority of the city site consists of peat bog and swampland, much of which is covered in dense rainforest. It is also home to several villages, some of which have been relocated to make way for the new construction.
The new capital has been envisioned as a smart city, featuring substantial green spaces and extensive public transportation in addition to being powered entirely by renewable energy. The cost of the city’s construction is estimated at more than $30 billion, mainly funded by private investment. By the city’s completion in 2045, the Indonesian government predicts that Nusantara will have a population of 1.9 million. The first residents, as in planned capitals such as Nay Pyi Taw and Brasília, will be a combination of construction workers and civil servants relocated by the government.
Controversy and criticism
Feasibility
Since its announcement, Nusantara has been highly controversial and subject to a wide range of criticism. The basic feasibility of the project has often been questioned, both in terms of its ambitious infrastructure and the short proposed time frame for construction. The city’s site was selected quickly, and almost no local residents were consulted, leading to criticism that the central government is out of touch with the reality in Kalimantan. The cost of the city has also been criticized because Indonesia is not a wealthy nation, and the government has struggled to attract private investors to fund the city.
The future of Jakarta
Some Indonesians criticize the decision to move the capital and view the relocation of the administrative state away from Jakarta as an abandonment that provides a disincentive for the government to address the ongoing problems faced by the city’s residents. The government has vehemently denied this, insisting that Jakarta will remain the nation’s economic capital and will continue to be a priority regardless of where the civil service is located.
Environmental impact
The environmental impact of Nusantara’s construction has been hotly contested. The city site is heavily forested and includes a nature preserve that is home to thousands of endangered animals, most notably a large population of orangutans. Many critics believe environmental damage from the city’s construction to be inevitable. Supporters of Nusantara counter this criticism by citing plans for wildlife corridors and ecotourism protectorates. They also note that, while much of the current forest area of Nusantara is productive (meaning it can be licensed for logging and other resource extraction), the fully constructed Nusantara will feature extensive protected forest coverage. Whether these goals are realistic remains a subject of debate. Additionally, the plan to power Nusantara entirely through renewable energy could undermine the economy of Kalimantan, a major coal producer.
Displacement of local population
Nusantara’s shift to renewable energy will also come at a cost to current residents, as much of the city will be powered by dams (currently under construction) which are expected to destroy several villages. The Indigenous people of the region—a group known as the Balik—have conflicting opinions about the capital’s relocation to their ancestral home. Some welcome the move and the jobs it will bring in construction and tourism. However, Balik landowners in particular are threatened, as many Indigenous people lack documentation proving their land ownership and have long been vulnerable to eviction by corporations and the government. Nusantara’s construction has already displaced many local people, and, while some have been compensated, inflation of land prices has prevented many from finding new homes.
General outlook
Since its inception, the Nusantara project has been the subject of intense political controversy. Many Indonesians view the plan as a distraction from the country’s ongoing issues with corruption and development and even accuse the government of attempting to insulate itself from criticism and protest by distancing itself from civil society. Nonetheless, construction of the capital was mandated by law in 2022, and the victory of Joko Widodo’s ally Prabowo Subianto in the 2024 presidential election is regarded by some as securing Nusantara’s future. Other observers, however, suggest that the project is an overly ambitious attempt by Widodo to cement his legacy and that, following the presidential transfer of power in October 2024, it may be sidelined by his successors.