IKN Introduced As Climate Resilience City To World Investors

The Capital Archipelago Authority (IKN) introduced IKN as a climate-resilient city for a number of social investors in the world during the 2024 Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (APVN) global conference held in Abu Dhabi 22-25 April 2024.

"The policy and initiative of the IKN Authority in realizing a sustainable, inclusive, smart, and climate-resilience city," said Deputy for Environment and Natural Resources of the IKN Authority, Myrna Safitri, quoting Antara.

Myrna explained that the global AVPN conference is a meeting event for various philanthropics, social investors, and world-leading policymakers to announce a new alliance, launching a new potential funding.

"And form a strategic partnership to help Asian countries overcome funding shortages in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," said Myrna, quoted from an official statement received in Jakarta, Thursday.

He mentioned that more than 600 member organizations/companies spread across 33 countries, AVPN plays an important role in linking leaders of countries in Asia to collaborate on capital, technical assistance, and the influence of their policies to catalyze the capital owned by offices, families, foundations, and companies in Asia.

Myrna also emphasized that the development of IKN will not sacrifice natural forests. However, he acknowledged that the environmental challenges in IKN existed before the area was designated as the capital city of the archipelago. One of the main problems is land cover changes that only leave a secondary forest covering an area of 16 percent of the total land of IKN.

The archipelago is aspired to be a city that prioritizes environmental conservation, which will be realized through a 65 percent refurbishment of the IKN area as a protected area. With this effort, it is hoped that it can create a city that is climate-resilient, sustainable, habitable, enjoyable, and can contribute to net zero emissions," said Myrna.

The conversion of natural forests into plantation forests, oil palm plantations, mining areas, and agricultural land for decades is a challenge in itself in environmental restoration.

The participants enthusiastically welcomed this explanation because it provided more complete and accurate information regarding environmental development at IKN.

Myrna also revealed that the IKN Authority has committed to implementing various policies and actions from 2022 to 2024 to prepare IKN as a climate-resilient city.

Some of the steps that have been taken include the first detailed spatial planning regulations and master plans that require protecting 65 percent of the land, controlling deforestation, and protecting biodiversity; two launches of the Net zero emission Nusantara 2045 strategy roadmap and a master plan for biodiversity management.

"Both of them provide programs and actions that will be implemented until 2045," said Myrna.

Third, formulate guidelines for environmental, environmental, social, and corporate governance practices); the four moratorium mining policies and oil palm plantations as well as the establishment of illegal mining task forces; fifth, capacity building for local farmers to develop regenerative agriculture and urban agriculture.

The six studies of exploring natural-based water management solutions projects; the seven mangrove rehabilitation; the eight inclusive referorests involving government agencies, the private sector, universities, and the community; and the nine community-based disaster management.

"Through this activity, it is hoped that it can increase the confidence of social impact investors and philanthropists to support the efforts of the IKN Authority in realizing sustainable development transformation in IKN," said Myrna.