By : Namara Bimianjani )*
The government has launched a plan to move the National Capital (IKN) to East Kalimantan Province and this was agreed at the DPR RI Plenary Meeting in early 2022. Now development in IKN is being accelerated by the government located in North Penajam Paser. The various IKN development plans have been prepared and promulgated in Law (UU) Number 3 of 2022 concerning IKN on 15 February 2022.
Through the IKN Law, the government has provided an overview of the forms and stages of IKN transfer which will be carried out in stages. As previously planned, the IKN Nusantara area covers land covering an area of 256,142 hectares and sea waters covering an area of 68,198 hectares. There are 5 development stages designed, starting from 2022 to 2045.
The first stage will take place in 2022-2024. This stage of IKN development will be divided into three major work streams, namely urban development, infrastructure development and economic development. Apart from that, housing is in the form of landed houses and apartment units intended for ASN and defense and security (hankam) officers.
In the construction of flats for ASN and defense and security officers at IKN, the government continues to promote environmental sustainability. As stated by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) through the Directorate General of Housing, it ensures that the construction of flats for ASN will not damage the surrounding environment.
Director General of Housing of the PUPR Ministry, Iwan Suprijanto, said that his party wants the construction of IKN flats to maintain environmental sustainability. His party minimized tree felling and designed the flats with a green building concept.
He added that the Directorate General of Housing of the Ministry of PUPR together with implementing contractors continues to strive to accelerate the progress of the physical construction of vertical housing. Construction workers and a number of heavy equipment have entered the field and are carrying out the construction of the project’s perimeter fence.
Apart from that, his party also requested that cut and fill work be carried out by paying attention to the contour of the land. Trees at the construction site should not be cut down as much as possible and reforestation will be carried out when finished so that the environment remains green and beautiful.
In line with this, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) uses environmentally friendly materials and designs in the construction of IKN Nusantara projects.
Minister of PUPR, Basuki Hadimuljono, said that the Ministry of PUPR utilizes environmentally friendly and intelligent designs for the construction of houses in IKN Nusantara. Green and smart home designs are currently being used at IKN as well and there are many other things being applied by them.
The construction and development of the capital city of the archipelago applies global standard governance, becomes a driving engine for Kalimantan, and becomes a trigger for strengthening the domestic value chain throughout the Eastern Region of Indonesia. IKN Nusantara, added Basuki, must be a model for green and sustainable city development driven by the application of the latest technology.
Caring for nature and the environment where humans live is currently faced with quite crucial problems such as land availability and the threat of environmental damage. Increasingly, nature (land, forests, seas and other natural resources) is increasingly being squeezed by the pressure of human needs. As a result, exploitation of the environment and natural resources is inevitable. Disasters resulting from exploitative actions ( man made disasters ) have appeared everywhere.
In the context of utilizing natural resources and the environment, the most current issue is the IKN development plan in East Kalimantan. The declaration of an environmentally friendly city, including the development of IKN with its Forest City concept, is one alternative to reduce natural destruction.
City development must continue, but it must be balanced with policies to preserve nature. It’s just that protecting the environment or caring for nature doesn’t just mean protecting trees, water and land, but also caring for ancestral traditions and local community rituals that have supported nature’s sustainability.
It has been proven that various ancestral traditions and rituals are closely related to the principle of maintaining natural balance. There are no indigenous peoples who maintain ancestral traditions that will damage their environment. They depend on each other and maintain harmonious relationships through certain rituals and traditions.
According to Herry Jogaswara, Head of the Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization, local knowledge has always been an interesting, current and necessary issue for Indonesia’s development, including the development of IKN in East Kalimantan. In fact, currently, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is discussing local Indonesian knowledge with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Even though IKN development is included in modern culture and new civilization, the government still pays attention to the unity of the ecosystem and its humans. Making the IKN environment means looking at the relationship between forests, the environment and humans.
)* The author is an observer of government policy
