Sintra as it appears on satellites the new capital of Indonesia

The US space agency NASA published new pictures of the world's newest city under construction, which is the city of Nsantara, which is scheduled to be the alternative capital to Jakarta, the current capital of Indonesia.

Since declaring the country's independence in 1945, Indonesia has taken the city of Jakarta as its capital, and over the past few decades the capital has witnessed significant population growth from one million people to 30 million.

Jakarta was not prepared to receive this huge population, and the capital became one of the most crowded and polluted cities in the world. The problem does not stop there, as this crowded capital is sinking into the ground day after day, and it is only a matter of years before the city will sink under water, according to scientists’ estimates, due to its location on the coast, its low terrain, and the danger of continuous rising water levels.

About 40% of Jakarta now lies below sea level, and it is believed that 25% of the Indonesian capital will be under water by 2050.

As a result, the Indonesian government announced its plans to move the capital from Jakarta to another, safer location in East Kalimantan province, where the new capital will be Nusantara (Nusantara).

In pictures: Two years since the beginning of the mission

Work on the city began in 2022, and satellite images shared by NASA's Earth Observatory show the modern capital being born out of dense forests.

The first image, taken in April 2022, showed vast green areas extending amid tropical rainforests, and in the other image, taken recently in February 2024, NASA revealed the initial features that appeared on the future Indonesian capital.

On the right is a recent picture of the city of Nusantara in 2024, and on the left is a picture when it begins work in April 2022 (NASA)

The road network appears that unites the outskirts of the city and connects its neighborhoods, while the heart of the city appears to be more complete than others, and the constructed buildings also appear scattered and distributed in some areas. However, the area is still far from being completed according to the plan, and the plan is scheduled to be completed by 2045.

The plan to move to the new capital is part of the project of the government of the current Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, and the government hopes to move up to 1.9 million people by the end of the project. The city will also witness the transfer of some civil servants early this year.

The initial phase of development includes the construction of government facilities and other buildings for an expected initial population of 500,000 people, according to the project website.

The project plans stipulate that it will be a “green, walkable” city, meaning that walking is an essential means of transportation. It will also be equipped with renewable energy, with 75% of the city remaining covered in forests. Some researchers are concerned that this change in land use could harm forests and wildlife in the area.