Indonesia conducts water bombing to contain wildfires near future capital

Jakarta, Indonesia: Indonesian authorities conducted a water bombing operation on Saturday to prevent wildfires from spreading in the future capital city of Nusantara, according to a city official speaking to AFP. The archipelago is building a new capital city on Borneo, home to dense tropical jungles, to replace the overcrowded and sinking Jakarta.

The country is also battling wildfires that have ravaged large portions of Sumatra and Borneo, causing hazardous haze to drift into neighboring Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Fires have intensified since mid-August in buffer zones surrounding Nusantara's core development area, according to Nusantara authority environment and natural resources deputy Myrna Asnawati Safitri.

This prompted authorities to carry out the water bombing operation to augment ground firefighting efforts, she added.

Water bombing serves a dual purpose: not only does it extinguish fires, but it also accelerates the cooling of extinguished areas, Myrna explained. The operation is scheduled to continue until Sunday, though it may be extended if necessary. So far, Nusantara's construction has been unaffected by wildfires or haze, Myrna said. The decision to relocate the capital from Jakarta was made by then-president Joko Widodo when he was re-elected in 2019.

However, construction has slowed under his predecessor Prabowo Subianto, who focused on welfare programs like a free meal scheme for students. As president-elect, Prabowo expressed a desire to complete or at least finish the capital move, but as of 2024, he has not signed the presidential decree required to shift from Jakarta. Prabowo's spokesman, Prasetyo Hadi, stated that Nusantara must be ready to host the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government before the relocation can occur.