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Indonesia
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Rats and rubbish mar Indonesia’s vision of a futuristic new capital

Indonesia’s US$32 billion dream of a green new capital at Nusantara is facing an early challenge: a surge in rats fuelled by tourist trash

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Indonesia’s future capital city of Nusantara is seen under construction last year. Photo: AFP
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As thousands of tourists poured into the site of Indonesia’s under-construction new capital during the Eid ul-Fitr holiday, they were greeted not only by gleaming new government buildings rising from the forest, but also by a less welcome sight: rats.

Videos of rodents darting through crowds in Nusantara, the planned capital city on Borneo island, have been making the rounds on Indonesian social media in recent days.

In response, the Nusantara Capital Authority has deployed hundreds of rat traps and promised additional sanitation measures, in a scramble to contain the pest problem before it tarnishes the city’s ambitions of becoming a hi-tech, eco-friendly metropolis.

“This used to be a forested, hilly area,” said Thomas Umbu Pati Tena, the authority’s deputy for development control. “Naturally, there are many old rat nests. But we’re not sitting idle. Our health and community teams are already working on this.”

Videos of rodents darting through crowds in Nusantara have been making the rounds on Indonesian social media in recent days. Photo: Shutterstock
Videos of rodents darting through crowds in Nusantara have been making the rounds on Indonesian social media in recent days. Photo: Shutterstock

The US$32 billion project to relocate the national capital from Jakarta – a congested and sinking megacity – to the heart of Borneo has been internationally promoted as a “smart and sustainable” urban hub showcasing climate-conscious design and a reduced ecological footprint.

Construction began in earnest in 2022, with the city slated to eventually house up to 1.9 million residents.

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