Uncertainty about the fate of forests in the new National Capital City (IKN) was immediately answered. The reason is, the Government has coordinated with various parties to participate in preserving forests in the IKN area.
The Government’s consistency in maintaining forest sustainability shows that IKN removal has been planned carefully.
The plan to move the country’s capital to East Kalimantan will certainly invite various issues and questions from the public. Some people also complained that they were not included for consultations regarding the new capital. But this was denied by President Joko Widodo who said that he had knocked on the door of traditional leaders in East Kalimantan.
Jokowi also wants people in East Kalimantan, both indigenous and migrant communities, to be expected to benefit economically from the construction of the New Capital City.
Then, related to the response from environmental activists who stated that development in the new capital would have environmental impacts, Jokowi said, that the concept of the Rimba Nusa which was chosen as the design of the new capital would actually protect and improve the forests in the location of the national capital in East Kalimantan.
The former Surakarta Mayor said, that in the new capital that will be occupied later is a production forest, not natural forest or tropical forest. Of the 256,000 hectares we have prepared, only 56,000 hectares will be used later. From now on only 5,000 ha are used. This means that there is a lot of land that we want to improve and we green.
The condition of the forest there is already damaged, so Jokowi wants to improve the environment at that location. So that the first time the government built it was a nursery, a nursery. Mangrove forests will also be protected.
In his instructions, Jokowi wanted that the new capital city would prioritize environmental principles. The instruction stressed that the development of the capital in Kalimantan would not damage the forest.
In addition, because it prioritizes the environment in the new capital city, Jokowi has provided direction to create permanent and modern nurseries. No half-hearted, he was asked by LHK to make a seedbed with a production of 15-17 million.
The nursery itself is a place or area for the activity of processing seeds or other material from plants into seeds or seedlings that are ready to be planted in the field. Nursery has the same meaning as nursery activities.
Nursery activities are the initial activities in the field of forest planting activities because it is very important and is the first key in the effort to achieve successful forest planting.
Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya Bakar said that the construction of a new capital city would not damage the forests there. Although in the development of the capital city, modern principles are put forward.
Siti said, it was not true if the country’s capital would destroy the forests, there would be greening. In principle, this new capital environment must be prepared first.
In the process, the new capital will not trim the contours of the development site. Precisely this capital will follow the contours that are there.
The LHK Ministry has also completed a Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) for the new capital city area of 255,000 hectares in East Kalimantan.
The government and other related parties will make the results of the environmental study the basis for carrying out sustainable development in the new capital region of the country.
The location chosen as the study target is located in Sepaku District. Penajam Paser Utara Regency, East Kalimantan, which is rich in biodiversity.
Sepaku District is the second largest administrative area in Penajam Paser Utara. The extent of 117,236 ha or 35.2% of the district’s area.
The sub-district area covers 11 villages and 4 villages. The majority of the population are transmigrants from Java, most of whom are Muslim and some are Protestant, Catholic and Hindu Christians. They generally farm, working on land with an area of 0.25 ha to 15 ha to grow rice, vegetables, rubber and palm oil.
SEA will be used to ensure that all factors in sustainable development are applied in the construction of a new national capital in the region which partly covers abandoned abandoned mining pits.
Based on the KLHS of the new national capital, 40% of the 256,000 hectares of the reserved area is a green area designated as a conservation area.
Of course the government will not take its hands off the preservation of forests in Kalimantan, therefore we should support the environmental study so that later the Rimba Nusa concept can be realized, so that the new State Capital will remain green and modern.