The before and after satellite photos shared by NASA.
American space agency NASA has shared satellite photos of a city emerging in a jungle. The jungle is situated in Borneo and the city being developed is Indonesia's new capital, Nusantra. The satellite photos show how the forest area has changed since 2022 with progress in the development of city. NASA said the forest area has undergone rapid change in nearly two years, adding that roads have been carved into the landscape and buildings erected near Balikpapan Bay in Eastern Kalimantan for the new capital city.
The new city is being developed on the island of Borneo because of the problems faced by Indonesia's current capital, Jakarta.
More than 30 million people live in Jakarta that suffers from frequent flooding, air pollution, a shortage of drinking water, and traffic, as per NASA Earth Observatory.
At the time of Indonesia's independence, Jakarta had a population of one million.
Excessive groundwater withdrawals have contributed to subsidence rates of up to 15 centimetres per year, and 40 percent of the city is now below sea level, it further said.
According to New York Times, the master plan for Indonesia's new city was created in 2019. The blueprint that was approved included stilted buildings and elevated walkways linking to transportation hubs so residents can bypass Nusantara's hilly terrain.
Construction began in 2022 in an area of forests and oil palm plantations 30 kilometres inland from the Makassar Strait. The term Nusantra is from old Javanese and means "outer islands" or "archipelago".
Initially, the city is expected to cater to 500,000 people and the infrastructure is being developed according to that. Project plans stipulate that it will be a "green, walkable" metropolis, powered with renewable energy, with 75 per cent of the city remaining forested.
The construction is expected to be completed by 2045.