The decision to move the capital from Jakarta, which has served as Indonesia's political and economic hub since independence in 1945, stems from the city's severe environmental and infrastructural challenges, according to News Week.
Jakarta, a city of over 30 million people, faces chronic flooding, traffic congestion, and rapid land subsidence, with about 40 percent of the city now lying below sea level due to excessive groundwater extraction and rising sea levels.
President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, announced the relocation plan in 2019, citing the need to ease Jakarta's burden and promote more balanced development across the archipelago.
"We want to build a new Indonesia...a new work ethic, new mindset, new green economy," Jokowi told the New York Times last year.
Indonesia's President-elect Prabowo Subiato has said that he is committed to "continue, and if possible finish," the new capital, according to Bloomberg, after uncertainty as to whether the incoming president would want to continue pursuing the project.
Nusantara, which means "archipelago" in Javanese, was selected for its strategic location in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, roughly 1,200 kilometers from Jakarta.
The $35 billion project aims to not only alleviate Jakarta's overpopulation and environmental stress but also to create a symbol of Indonesia's aspirations for modernity and technological advancement.
SD/
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