Indonesia, the most important archipelagic country on the earth, faces enormous geographical and economic challenges. In 2019, the Indonesian government unveiled a daring plan to maneuver the country’s capital from Jakarta to a brand new location in Kalimantan, the Indonesian a part of Borneo. In a captivating public lecture delivered on October 25 on the Department of Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, two eminent experts, Raditya Pranadi and Dr. Supriatna, make clear the important thing role of geography and geospatial technology in shaping the event of this latest capital.
Raditya Pranadi emphasized that despite economic growth in some regions, economic concentration in Java and Sumatra stays strikingly clear. The contribution to gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in Java and Sumatra has shown little change over the past three and a half many years. As a strategic measure to deal with economic disparities and support equitable growth, the Indonesian government has decided to relocate the capital.
Kalimantan, the chosen site for Indonesia’s latest capital, Ibu Kota Negara (IKN) Nusantara, offers a singular set of geographical benefits. Located in the guts of Indonesia, it is way from the tsunami-prone areas that affect Java. When choosing the situation, the abundance of huge areas, favorable slope of the land for development and socio-cultural aspects were also taken into consideration.
In recent years, the Indonesian government has conducted a comprehensive preliminary study to plan the relocation of the capital. Many ministries and agencies were involved on this endeavor, including Bappenas, the Ministry of Agricultural and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (Kementerian Agraria dan Tata Ruang/Badan Pertanahan Nasional or ATR/BPN), the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (Kementerian PUPR). ), the Ministry of Environment and Forests (KLHK), in addition to relevant institutions. In this initial stage, a bottom-up approach was adopted, actively engaging various stakeholders from different sectors. The IKN masterplan follows the principle of constructing a compact city, a stark contrast to the “urban sprawl” often seen in the event of other Indonesian cities.
The most significant issue in IKN planning is population density. A hexagonal structure accomplished with circles with a radius of 800 meters was used to determine the best density that might allow people to walk for ten minutes. As such, IKN is split into a wide range of zones with mixed land uses and environments that encourage social contact and support sustainable transport.
Dr. Supriatna emphasized the important thing role of geography in shaping IKN as a sensible city, primarily through the usage of Geographic Information System (GIS)-based technology.
Technology is an integral a part of the planning and management of IKN as a sensible city. The “smart management” concept includes GIS-based control and an integrated city operations center. In the transport sector, taking into consideration urban air mobility (urban air transport) requires effective route planning and coordinate definition.
Moreover, the mixing of smart technologies extends to varied areas, including disaster management, natural resource utilization and energy optimization. This includes the concept of smart forests and forest fire management, precision agriculture, the event of smart industries and supporting a talented human resource base. The development of 5G infrastructure, social amenities and GIS-based monitoring plays a key role in the event of IKN.
Geospatial information plays a key role in IKN planning and management. This includes mapping flood-prone areas, modeling flood-affected regions, mapping land development and infrastructure, monitoring IKN progress using high-resolution satellite imagery, and assessing land suitability consistent with zoning regulations.
Apart from the mapping function, geography also plays a major role in community empowerment. This includes initiatives to support smart and digital villages while ensuring the viability of the digital ecosystem.
