Indonesia to Replace Sinking Jakarta with New Capital City
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Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia plans to relocate the nation’s capital away from Jakarta, the world's fastest-sinking city. Jakarta, in the last 10 years, had sunk 2.5 meters, due to extreme land subsidence.“We want to have a new city, which besides rIndonesia to Replace Sinking Jakarta with New Capital City
Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia plans to relocate the nation’s capital away from Jakarta, the world's fastest-sinking city. Jakarta, in the last 10 years, had sunk 2.5 meters, due to extreme land subsidence.“We want to have a new city, which besides reflecting Indonesia’s identity is a modern, international-class city, or a smart, green and beautiful city,” said Indonesia’s Minister for National Development and Planning, Bambang Brodjonegoro, while speaking to the news website Jakarta Globe.Almost half of Jakarta is below sea level; flooding is frequent, and the traffic congestion is very high. Research shows that some areas could entirely get submerged by 2050.According to Brodjonegoro, the new capital will be the geographic center of the country. It would be chosen to reduce the potential risks from natural disasters. In the past, the cities of Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan and Makassar in South Sulawesi were proposed as new capitals.“It would be central from west to east, or north to south,” he told Jakarta Globe. “To represent justice and encourage development, especially in the eastern part of Indonesia.”“We have to find a location that is really minimal in terms of disaster risks. Also, because Indonesia is a maritime nation, the new capital city should be located near the coast, but not necessarily by the sea,” he added.The announcement comes shortly after Widodo, who has been President since 2014, claimed victory in the latest election. The process is expected to take around 10 years and will be modeled on similar projects undertaken elsewhere in the world. https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more