The jungles of eastern Borneo, one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, have begun to rapidly transform since mid-2022 due to the construction of Nusantara, Indonesia’s ambitious new capital. The epicenter of this transformation is an area near Balikpapan Bay, in the province of East Kalimantan.
The President of Indonesia made the decision to change the national capital from the overcrowded island of Java to the less populated but ecologically fragile island of Borneo. This decision is due to the severe environmental problems plaguing Jakarta, the current capital, such as constant floods, horrendous traffic, toxic air pollution, and land subsidence. It is estimated that 40% of Jakarta is already below sea level.
The name Nusantara, meaning “archipelago” in the ancient Javanese language, was chosen by the Indonesian government to represent the unity of the country’s more than 17,000 islands. The first phase of the ambitious project began in July 2022. It includes the construction of government buildings, housing, hospitals, schools, and other infrastructure to accommodate an initial population of 500,000 people.
According to project officials, Nusantara will be an eco-friendly city, with plenty of green spaces, non-polluting transportation, and 75% of protected forest areas. However, environmental experts express concern about the impact this megacity will have on ecosystems as fragile and biodiverse as those of Borneo, home to orangutans, proboscis monkeys, Irrawaddy dolphins, and unique mangroves.
Although satellite images show rapid deforestation and soil removal, there is still much work to be done. The government plans to complete the monumental construction of Nusantara by 2045. By then, this utopian forest city would host over 1 million people. It remains to be seen if it lives up to Indonesia’s dream of being a green and sustainable capital.
NASA recently released photographs taken by Landsat 8 and Landsat 9, showing the rapid progress in construction work in just two years.
Sources
- Share on:
Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Two Strange Ice-Covered Interstellar Objects Found in the Direction of One of the Arms of Our Galaxy
A recent study investigates two enigmatic interstellar objects discovered through observations with the ALMA telescope (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) and the AKARI satellite. These bodies, hidden behind dense clouds of…
A Complex System of Tanks and Structures Found Beneath the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens
A group of researchers from the National Technical University of Athens has conducted an ambitious geophysical study to unravel the hidden mysteries beneath the Temple of Olympian Zeus, one of…
The First Dinosaurs Emerged in the Amazon and Remain Undiscovered There and in Other Equatorial Regions of South America and Africa
A recent study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) suggests that the remains of the earliest dinosaurs might still lie hidden in the Amazon and other equatorial regions…
The Blood of Homo sapiens Explains How They Survived, While That of Neanderthals May Have Led to Their Extinction
A group of scientists has found clues in blood groups that explain how modern humans managed to survive and expand from Africa to the rest of the world. Published in…
Poliochne, the First City of Europe, Was the Nemesis and Rival of Troy Situated Across From It
In the history of humanity, early settlements provide a fascinating glimpse into the development of civilization. One such place is Poliochne (in Greek Πολιόχνη), an ancient city located on the…
Money Emerged to Facilitate Trade Between Strangers, Not to Collect Taxes, According to an Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Study
The history of money, one of humanity’s most transformative creations, has been the subject of discussion for centuries. How did this fundamental tool for the economy emerge? A recent study…
The Oldest Evidence of Hominin Presence in Europe Found in Romania: They Hunted and Used Tools Over 1.95 Million Years Ago
A recent scientific discovery published in the journal Nature Communications has unveiled compelling evidence of the presence of hominins in Europe at least 1.95 million years ago. This finding, centered…
A mold used to produce Medusa masks dating back to the early 1st century BCE has been found in ancient Finziade, Sicily
In the town of Licata (the ancient Greek Finziade), Sicily, archaeologists have discovered a mask mold that, according to initial interpretations, could represent Medusa, the Greek mythological figure known for…
The Bronze Fragments That Allowed the Reconstruction of the Celtic Calendar
In November 1897, Alphonse Roux, a farmer, discovered what appeared to be a cloth bag, whose fibers had dissolved over time, buried about 30 centimeters underground while working in a…
Exceptional Discovery in Nero’s Domus Aurea in Rome: Pigments and a Massive Ingot of Egyptian Blue
The monumental Domus Aurea, the palatial residence built by Emperor Nero in the heart of Rome, continues to unveil fascinating secrets. Recent archaeological research has brought to light a unique…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
