New Indonesia capital imperils ‘lungs of the world’, ancient forests with ‘ecological disaster’
- Environmentalists warn building a metropolis will speed up deforestation in one of the world’s largest and oldest stretches of tropical rainforest
- Indonesia also has one of the world’s highest rates of deforestation, and is accused of allowing firms to operate in Borneo with little oversight
The twisting road that leads to Indonesia’s future capital is lined with dense rainforest and pockets of plantations, punctuated every so often with monkeys enjoying a laze out on the tarmac.
Located in eastern Borneo – the world’s third-largest island – Nusantara is set to replace the sinking and polluted Jakarta as Indonesia’s political centre by late 2024.
But the two-hour drive from Balikpapan city to the sweeping green expanse of Nusantara’s “Point Zero” reveals the scale of the new capital’s potential impact on a biodiverse area that is home to thousands of animal and plant species.
With construction set to ramp up this year, environmentalists warn building a metropolis will speed up deforestation in one of the world’s largest and oldest stretches of tropical rainforest, estimated to be more than 100 million years old.
“It’s going to be a massive ecological disaster,” Uli Arta Siagian, forest campaigner for environmental group Walhi, told AFP.