Indonesia’s sinking, polluted capital is moving to new city

By EDNA TARIGAN and NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Jakarta is congested, polluted, prone to earthquakes and rapidly sinking into the Java Sea. Now the government is leaving, and it’s moving Indonesia’s capital to the island of Borneo. President Joko Widodo envisions the construction of a new capital as a panacea for the problems plaguing Jakarta, reducing its population while allowing the country to start fresh with a “sustainable city” that has good public transportation, is integrated with its natural environment and is in an area that’s not prone to natural disasters. But skeptics worry about the environmental impact of plunking a sprawling city down in Borneo’s East Kalimantan province, which is home to a wide diversity of wildlife.