Unveiling Urban Transformations: Insights from the Field Visit in Sepaku District, August 11-12, 2023

Our recent field visit conducted on August 11-12 in the Sepaku District has revealed significant transformations in the landscape and infrastructure developments in preparation for Indonesia’s new capital city.
The team discovered that several parts of the Sepaku and Tengin riverbanks, previously mangrove and pond areas, have been repurposed into ports. These ports are now bustling with activity, transporting materials such as rocks and sand from Sulawesi, crucial for the construction of the new capital city.

The field visit team also had the opportunity to visit one of Nusantara’s mega infrastructure projects, the Sepaku Semoi Dam. Expected to be operational by 2024, this dam is a testament to the rapid urbanization and development taking place in the region. The dam will supply raw water to the new capital city and serve as a critical flood control measure. Interestingly, this area was previously a palm oil cultivation zone owned predominantly by Javanese transmigrants.

The team followed the river to trace and historicize Sepaku’s landscape transformation from an extraction center to a hub of urbanization for Indonesia’s new capital city. This field visit has provided valuable insights into the rapid urban development and environmental changes taking place in Sepaku.