We must not perceive that our efforts to relocate the capital would damage the forestsJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) reiterated that development of the new national capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan would not damage the local forests, as natural conditions would be taken into account during the progress in construction.
"We must not perceive that our efforts to relocate the capital would damage the forests," Jokowi stated here on Tuesday.
The government is committed to ensuring that 70 percent of the new capital area would be reserved as a green area to ensure the capital remains green, he stated.
According to the president, the authority had also projected that 80 percent of the energy consumed in the new capital would originate from natural resources, and a hydropower dam planned in Kayan River, North Kalimantan, would be the main energy source for the administration centre.
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The head of state also noted that public transportation facilities would be taken into account during the development of the new capital.
"The city planner has projected that the capital will be a ten-minute city, which means that any journey undertaken from one point to another within the capital would take less than 10 minutes," Jokowi remarked.
The president also affirmed that pedestrians, bikers, and public transportation users would be prioritised in the new capital promoted as a future smart forest city.
"The new capital will have many green areas and forests. All aspects in the capital, including the transportation system, water and electricity system, infrastructures, communications, and public services, would be managed by modern technologies," he remarked.
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As hills being a prominent feature in the new capital site, Jokowi affirmed that the capital's development would follow the hilly contours of the site.
Apart from preserving a natural waterfront by maintaining the forest ecosystem, the authority is committed to rehabilitating several ecosystems that have been damaged, he stressed.
"Of the 256 thousand hectares of the new capital area, construction work would proceed in only 50 thousand hectares of land, while the rest of the 200 thousand hectares would be preserved as it is. We will also rehabilitate damaged ecosystems by developing tree nurseries that would produce at least 20 million tree seeds annually," the president remarked.
Jokowi added that Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar had also informed him that the nursery development work was currently nearing completion.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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