Jakarta is sinking, so Indonesia is building a new capital city

The New York Times has a fascinating about Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s plans to build a new capital city for the country. The current capital, Jakarta, has swelled to a population of over 30 million and a combination of its citizens illegally draining its underground aquifers for water and sea level rise caused by climate change means the city is literally sinking into the sea. 40 per cent of Jakarta now lies below sea level.

The new captial, Nusantara, will be located 800 miles away from Jakarta (which is on the island of Java) on the island of Borneo. The city is envisioned to be a green metropolis that runs on renewable energy, and while construction is well behind schedule it is a noble vison.

Nusantara is perhaps one of the most extreme examples of one of the ways we will have to adapt to climate change, through managed retreat. And while the politicians and public servants who relocate to the new capital will be spared, what of the ordinary residents of Jakarta who will be left?