TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi on Monday, August 7, said that the air pollution in Jakarta could be solved by relocating the capital to Nusantara (IKN). Greenpeace Indonesia rejected the statement, saying that capital relocation is not a solution.

"The President's statement is not a solution in the context [of tackling air pollution in Jakarta]," Greenpeace Indonesia's forest campaigner Arie Rompas told Tempo on Tuesday, August 8.

Arie mentioned two arguments. First, he argued that tens of millions of residents in Jakarta are currently dependent on the city's economy, and they are trapped in the environmental situation, especially the city's air pollution which has exceeded the safe threshold.

"The government should take a serious and more progressive approach of address this problem instead of just moving to a new city," said Arie.

According to Arie, the sources of pollution must be suppressed with more progressive policies, including carrying out court rulings on class action and individual lawsuits against the government concerning Jakarta's air pollution.

His second argument concerns the new capital city itself. "Just because the IKN is characterized as a smart forest city, that doesn't mean that it won't be affected by air pollution," he said.

Jokowi said one of the solutions to address air pollution in Jakarta was to relocate the capital. "One solution is to reduce the burden on Jakarta so that some of it will be shifted to the capital city of the archipelago," he said in the Senayan area, Jakarta, Monday.

The president also said that another way to reduce Jakarta's pollution is by continuing to push for the construction of mass transportation, such as the MRT, LRT, to fast trains in Jakarta and its surroundings, to be completed soon.

Amelia Rahima Sari

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