Climate change 'may force Indonesia’s capital to be moved'

8 October 2010

Source: OneWorld UK

Indonesia is considering moving its capital, Jakarta, because of global warming, the head of the country's delegation to the UN climate change negotiations in China, Prof Rachmat Witoelar, has revealed.

Climate change being felt in Java

Witoelar told OneClimate.Net that the capital could be transferred from the island of Java to Kalimantan.

A road in Jakarta had recently been demolished by sea encroachment, he said. Elsewhere, shifting seasons were affecting farmers, and the city is already hit by deadly floods each year.

Impacts to come

Many of Indonesia's coastal cities would probably be affected by rising sea-level, and on the heavily-populated island of Java virtually all coastal cities would be hit, involving perhaps 50-60 million people - an impact he described as "devastating".

Emphasising the imminence of the impacts of climate change, he said that 20 million people might have to be moved within 15-20 years.

Actions already taken, he noted, included prosecution of senior officials found to be complicit in illegal logging - which a recent independent study estimated had been reduced by 60 per cent.

Vulnerable countries need support to adapt

He stressed that the UN climate negotiations would be "useless" unless vulnerable countries were helped to deal with the effects of climate change.

The full interview is available here.