By: Vania Salsabila Pratama )*
The new Indonesian National Capital named Nusantara is still in the process of being built. In his projects, it is guaranteed that there will be no deforestation or environmental destruction. Its development achieves zero emissions and the government makes IKN a modern and environmentally friendly city.
The national capital (IKN) will be moved from DKI Jakarta to North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan. Before officially moving in 2024, the construction will be carried out carefully in 2023. Various buildings will be built at IKN, especially the Presidential Palace.
However, the development of Penajam Paser Utara has made the community somewhat worried because these projects are synonymous with increasing air emissions and destroying nature. This concern was denied by the Governor of East Kalimantan, Isran Noor. According to him, the construction of IKN will not damage the surrounding environment. He dares to guarantee because IKN is a modern city but does not damage the environment.
Governor Isran Noor continued, the concept of building IKN is a forest city so it doesn’t damage the existing nature. Construction with zero emissions. IKN restores the condition of the forest as before. Forests in IKN are production forests, not natural forests. To restore it (the forest), the government has made nurseries in the Mentawir, Sepaku, Kutai Kartanegara areas.
In a 25 hectare nursery, endemic (local) plants such as meranti, bengkirai, etc. will be planted. Every year, this nursery will produce a minimum of 20 million trees. Trees from all over Indonesia will also be planted there.
Nurseries are made to supply so that the buildings in IKN will have lots of plants and trees around them. The concept of IKN is a forest city so the city is in the forest. The city was built without destroying the forest, but in a beautiful forest area but still modern.
Therefore, the community does not need to worry because the construction of IKN is truly zero emission and does not damage the environment. There is even a nursery where the trees continue to grow. IKN Nusantara will be very cool, different from DKI Jakarta which is scorching hot.
Then, at IKN, it is planned to create a modern traffic system and vehicles with electric cars/motorcycles that have very minimal emissions. With these vehicles, smooth mobility as well as environmentally friendly. Electric cars/motorcycles do not emit thick and black smoke at the exhaust, like conventional cars/motorcycles.
The Director of Road Transport Traffic at the Ministry of Transportation, Suharto, stated that only electric vehicles are allowed to enter the IKN area. This is in line with the concept of IKN which is sustainable, productive, modern and environmentally friendly. Public transportation also uses electric vehicles such as electric buses, electric trains, etc. The infrastructure will be built by the PUPR Ministry.
If all vehicles in the IKN area run on electricity, that would be great. First, it will not cause emissions that can reduce the ozone layer on the earth’s surface, so it is environmentally friendly. Second, Indonesia will transform into using EBT (renewable energy), namely electricity, and leaving conventional energy (fuel oil).
Meanwhile, President Jokowi stated that he guarantees that IKN is a city that does not damage the environment. In a sense, Kalimantan is one of the lungs of the world. IKN was built during President Jokowi’s administration and still maintains that status, so that its construction will not cut down forests and damage the environment in Kalimantan.
The IKN concept is very unique because it combines modern city, forest city, as well as sponge city. Definition of forest city is a city that is in a forest. IKN Nusantara is very interesting because of its position in the middle of a beautiful forest. This is a very interesting thing for investors so they want to invest their capital, even though the city itself has not been built 100%.
So, there will be no cutting of trees in North Penajam Paser, for the sake of building a government building. Precisely the building is ‘inserted’ in the middle of a forest and arranged so that no trees are cut down arbitrarily. Government employees and the people of IKN can enjoy the pleasant coolness of the city.
Meanwhile, Prahesti Pandanwangi, Director of the State Apparatus of the Ministry of National Development Planning, stated that sponge city can collect rainwater and use it as a water resource. This city can keep rainwater from going straight into the drainage canal, and can increase infiltration into the ground.
In a sense, IKN will become a sponge city because of the presence of trees in it. Apart from being a filter for the air and the lungs of the world, trees in the forest also function to absorb rainwater like a sponge. So that during the rainy season it will be safe and not flooded, because the water is well absorbed by tree roots.
The development of IKN is very environmentally friendly and guaranteed zero emissions, because the concept is a forest city as well as a modern city and a sponge city. Kalimantan is one of the lungs of the world, so its forests must be protected. IKN is a city that is in the forest and its development does not destroy nature.
)* The author is a contributor to Nusantara Reading Room
