Amidst the sticky dense heat and humidity of the rainforest in Indonesian Borneo, a sprawling and futuristic framework of skyscrapers emerges, as if the opening shot of the latest video game. Nusantara isn’t a video game, however. It is the Indonesian government’s $35 billion attempt to show its status as a ‘sustainable’ and developing nation. Conceptualised in 2019, the IKN project encompasses designs for central government buildings, residential housing for two million people, a fully electric public transport network and a dam to together encompass a new capital city. Though claimed to be a net-zero city on completion in 2045, contradictory unsustainable criticisms are already rising to the surface, only 2 years into development. Delve into the jungle of Nusantara to explore the project’s key successes as well as criticisms, culminating in an evaluation of its future as a sustainable city.
With Indonesia’s current capital Jakarta a catastrophic busyness of flooded and sinking homes along with extreme smog, at first glance Nusantara’s plan to be net zero seems impossible. Nevertheless, its plans possess compelling potential, with Sci-Fi-esque trackless autonomous trains to provide 80% of transport around the city, limiting Nusantara’s pollution significantly. Additionally, the state-owned electricity company, PLN, is on track to provide a 50MW solar power plant, aiming to reduce the city’s CO2 consumption by over 100,000 tonnes per year. By dramatically reducing the capital’s potential GHG emissions, this will be hugely successful in paving the way to Indonesia’s sustainable future. While 700 miles away, Jakarta will continue to struggle with its frightening status of the lowest air quality globally as tuk-tuks rush around its bustling streets.
However, starting fresh with a new capital city is not as straightforward as initially perceived, with Nusantara’s first construction phase already prone to anti-sustainable scandals. Despite renewable energy being central to Nusantara’s net zero plan, this infrastructure is to be created alongside the city – can you guess what that means? Yes, construction of the brand new $35 billion net-zero capital city is reliant on fossil fuels – how environmentally costly and blatantly ironic. Furthermore, building a forest city cannot happen without the inevitable loss of the forest, 20,000 hectares of it to be exact. In turn, this threatens habitats, reduces biodiversity, and contrasts with its net-zero directive by triggering CO2 emissions.
From a glass-half-full-viewpoint though, the planning of IKN has ensured deforestation will remain as minimal as possible, with the city’s designs incorporating the jungle and natural green space. Fast-forward to 2045 and hopefully Indonesia’s capital city Nusantara is upholding the nation’s desire for sustainable development. Despite initial environmental setbacks through polluted construction and deforestation, efforts to mitigate these impacts and promote sustainability have mainly been successful. Thus, securing Indonesia’s global position as a sustainable trend-setter (if you ignore their racked-up debt – that’s a debate for another day).
Photo by Simone Millward on Unsplash