Indonesia's New Capital on Brink of Becoming 'Ghost City'
The ambitious new capital, Nusantara, has been touted as a utopian vision for Indonesia, with its futuristic buildings, gleaming infrastructure, and state-of-the-art facilities. But behind the glitz and glamour lies a very different reality.
Deep in the forest, the multi-lane highway that leads to the palace and government ministries stretches out like a ghostly ribbon, eerily silent save for the occasional gardener or curious tourist. The boulevards are largely empty, with only a handful of residents calling this futuristic city home.
Just three years after former president Joko Widodo launched the ambitious project, some fear that Nusantara is in danger of becoming a glorified ghost town. The state funding for the new capital has plummeted over half, from £2bn to just £700m, and private investment has fallen short by over £1bn.
Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October, has quietly downgraded Nusantara to a "political capital", sparking fears that the project is losing steam. The head of the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) claims that funding and political will are still in place, but analysts say Prabowo's focus lies elsewhere.
The new capital was designed as a green city, with only a quarter of its 252,000-hectare site to be developed. Yet environmental groups have warned of a potential ecological disaster, with over 2,000 hectares of mangrove forest cleared in the past two years due to infrastructure projects.
Locals are paying the price for Nusantara's woes. Construction workers like Bejo report less overtime and lower pay, while fishers in Balikpapan Bay say traffic has fallen sharply since construction materials began disrupting their nets.
The Indigenous Balik people living near Sepaku River have also been affected by the new capital. They claim that promises of clean water from a newly built treatment plant never materialized, and flooding has worsened since the dam was constructed.
Despite the delays and downgrade, those involved in the project remain upbeat. But for many locals, Nusantara is starting to feel like a tourist destination – a gleaming, modern oasis in the middle of the jungle. While some are hopeful that it can help shift Indonesia's wealth away from Java, others are left wondering if this 'ghost city' will ever truly come alive.
"It feels like Singapore," says one visitor from Sulawesi. "Clean, modern – like something impossible in the middle of the jungle." But as she walks through Nusantara, she can't shake the feeling that it's also strange and quiet, with nobody yet calling this futuristic city home.
The ambitious new capital, Nusantara, has been touted as a utopian vision for Indonesia, with its futuristic buildings, gleaming infrastructure, and state-of-the-art facilities. But behind the glitz and glamour lies a very different reality.
Deep in the forest, the multi-lane highway that leads to the palace and government ministries stretches out like a ghostly ribbon, eerily silent save for the occasional gardener or curious tourist. The boulevards are largely empty, with only a handful of residents calling this futuristic city home.
Just three years after former president Joko Widodo launched the ambitious project, some fear that Nusantara is in danger of becoming a glorified ghost town. The state funding for the new capital has plummeted over half, from £2bn to just £700m, and private investment has fallen short by over £1bn.
Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October, has quietly downgraded Nusantara to a "political capital", sparking fears that the project is losing steam. The head of the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) claims that funding and political will are still in place, but analysts say Prabowo's focus lies elsewhere.
The new capital was designed as a green city, with only a quarter of its 252,000-hectare site to be developed. Yet environmental groups have warned of a potential ecological disaster, with over 2,000 hectares of mangrove forest cleared in the past two years due to infrastructure projects.
Locals are paying the price for Nusantara's woes. Construction workers like Bejo report less overtime and lower pay, while fishers in Balikpapan Bay say traffic has fallen sharply since construction materials began disrupting their nets.
The Indigenous Balik people living near Sepaku River have also been affected by the new capital. They claim that promises of clean water from a newly built treatment plant never materialized, and flooding has worsened since the dam was constructed.
Despite the delays and downgrade, those involved in the project remain upbeat. But for many locals, Nusantara is starting to feel like a tourist destination – a gleaming, modern oasis in the middle of the jungle. While some are hopeful that it can help shift Indonesia's wealth away from Java, others are left wondering if this 'ghost city' will ever truly come alive.
"It feels like Singapore," says one visitor from Sulawesi. "Clean, modern – like something impossible in the middle of the jungle." But as she walks through Nusantara, she can't shake the feeling that it's also strange and quiet, with nobody yet calling this futuristic city home.
i mean who gets to decide wut happens in these new 'ghost cities' anyway? think we need more transparency & community input 
I think Prabowo's focus on the new capital is a major issue, especially when you consider the environmental impact. Those mangrove forests are super important for the ecosystem, and clearing 2k hectares of them in just two years is crazy. And don't even get me started on the Indigenous Balik people... 
Their promises of clean water were totally broken, and it's like they're being pushed out of their own homes.
It's like, what's the point of building all these fancy buildings if nobody's gonna live here?
I get why some people might be excited about the prospect of a 'ghost city', but for those who actually live here, it's like, hello, what's going on? 
the govt launched dis ambitious project 3 yrs ago & now its just a ghost city lol 
with only a few residents livin in it 
2k hectares of mangrove forest cleared & its gonna cause ecological disaster 
wat were they thinkin?! 
also locals r payin the price 4 dis project 
but rn its jus a tourist trap 
who noz bout the Indigenous Balik people livin near Sepaku River? 
dey claim promises of clean water from treatment plant never materialized & flooding worsened since dam was constructed 
its like Singapore in the jungle lol 
It seems like they're trying to set realistic expectations instead of just throwing more cash at it 
. Plus, with environmental groups warning about the ecological disaster, you gotta wonder if Nusantara's "green city" concept is just a marketing gimmick 
. I'd love to see some concrete numbers on how much of that 252,000-hectare site has actually been developed... or if it's all just a facade 
. The funding has dropped so low that private investors are not coming forward anymore, which is crazy 
. The locals are suffering too - construction workers getting less pay & overtime, fishers struggling with disrupted traffic... it's just not fair 
.
. It's like they're just building a fancy ghost town in the middle of the jungle 
. I'm not sure what's going on with President Prabowo's priorities but it seems like Nusantara is getting lost in the shuffle 
. Fingers crossed that someone will step in and fix this situation ASAP 
.
. The fact that Prabowo Subianto has quietly downgraded Nusantara to a "political capital" suggests a complete loss of focus on the original vision for the city 
. As one visitor aptly observed, it feels like an oasis in the jungle – but without any actual inhabitants or lifeblood 
.
Is that just a fancy way of saying "we're losing steam"? 
How can they justify this when locals like Bejo and fishers in Balikpapan Bay are struggling?
That's not just sad, it's also super unfair to them.
. The fact that funding has plummeted by half is alarming 
.
They were promised clean water from that treatment plant, but it never materialized. It's heartbreaking to see them struggling with flooding because of infrastructure projects 
.
. Prabowo's downgrading it to a 'political capital' might be a sign that we need to re-evaluate this project altogether 
. Can't we do better than this? 
in the case of Nusantara, it seems like the city's purpose has shifted from a utopian vision to a mere tourist attraction... is that what we've been reduced to – just a pretty face for outsiders to gaze at while we struggle with the consequences? 
. And don't even get me started on the environmental impact - mangrove forest cleared? 
. And fishers in Balikpapan Bay are dealing with all this traffic nonsense 
. We need to think about the people who are gonna be living here, not just some tourists coming to gawk at all the shiny new buildings 
.
But at what cost? I don't think anyone can deny that the ghost town vibe is starting to set in... 
It's just not fair to those people who are living here and trying to make a life for themselves.
! Like, I get that it's still a new city and stuff, but £700m is a pretty penny 
. I mean, where's all the funding going? And what about those environmental groups warning about the mangrove forest destruction 
#NusantaraProblems #GhostCity #Indonesia
I don't get why they can't get more funding or something... it's not like it's going to magically fix itself 
. I mean, Prabowo Subianto downgraded Nusantara to "political capital" and now it's losin' steam? 
That's just not good for the project or the locals who are gonna be affected by it. And don't even get me started on the environmental groups warnin' about a potential ecological disaster 
. It's like, yeah, we need to think about the future of this city and make sure it doesn't become just a ghost town 
. Indonesia deserves better than that.
. We need real change, not just flashy infrastructure 
like whats going on? didnt we learn from other ghost cities in asia?