Nusantara: Indonesia’s Proposed New Capital City, an Ecological Bane or a Strategic Economic Boon?
The Republic of Indonesia, a fast-developing country with close to 280 million inhabitants, is planning to build a new capital city called Nusantara. The city will be located on the island of Borneo, some 2,000 kilometers northeast of Jakarta, the current capital. The government hopes that the move will help to redistribute wealth, reduce overcrowding in Jakarta, and create a more efficient administrative center.
Nusantara is planned to be a green, walkable metropolis powered by renewable energy and with over 65 percent of the developed area remaining forested. However, some environmentalists have raised concerns about the project’s potential impact on the surrounding forest and coastal waters, which are home to a variety of endangered species, including orang-utans, sun bears, and long-nosed monkeys. The project could also displace several indigenous villages, and there are concerns that the government is not doing enough to ensure that the affected communities are fairly compensated and relocated.
The Indonesian government has defended the project, saying that it is necessary to address the challenges of overcrowding, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation in Jakarta. The government has also said that it is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of the project and to ensuring that the affected communities are fairly compensated and relocated.
The Nusantara project is a bold and ambitious undertaking, and it remains to be seen whether the government will be able to successfully implement the project in a sustainable and inclusive manner. The project has the potential to be a major economic boon for Indonesia, but it is also important to ensure that the project does not come at the expense of the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples.
Ultimately, the success of Nusantara will depend on the government’s ability to strike a balance between economic development and environmental sustainability. The government must carefully consider the potential impacts of the project and take steps to mitigate those impacts. The government must also ensure that the affected communities are fully consulted and that they are fairly compensated and relocated.
Here are some additional examples of bold infrastructure projects in developing countries:
* The land-bridge project in Southern Thailand is expected to provide greater connectivity between Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. The project is expected to create several hundred thousand jobs, but it has also raised concerns about its impact on water tables and the possible displacement of existing fishing communities.
* The Char Dham highway expansion project in India is also a contentious project, with environmentalists citing concerns about its impact on the environment. The Indian Supreme Court, however, allowed the project to proceed in the keen interest of India’s national security.
Developing nations need to undertake audacious projects that help alleviate congestion, security threats, and that unequivocally help provide robust growth prospects for their respective economies. That is not to say that activism or environmental concerns must not be heeded. These nations have democratically elected governments bound by their commitment to ensure minimal environmental harm or ecological damage to the community, flora, or fauna. The electorate, on the other hand, has a moral responsibility to keep these elected governments in check for their commitment and integrity to act in the best interest of the individual sovereign nation. This helps balance environmental sustainability with undaunted and steadfast focus on economic growth and security of the developing world.
