Podcast Explores Environmental Toll of Indonesia's New Capital on Borneo Forest

A recent episode of the Scientific American podcast focuses on the environmental changes unfolding in an Indonesian forest as the country works to relocate its capital city, according to the publication.

The episode features filmmaker and journalist Leah Varjacques, who takes listeners inside the forest to document how it is being transformed by the capital relocation project, Scientific American said.

Indonesia has been moving its seat of government away from Jakarta, the current capital on the island of Java, to a new site on the island of Borneo, a move that has drawn attention from environmental observers because of the island's forested landscape.

According to the podcast description, Varjacques' reporting explores the pace and scale of change occurring in the forest as construction of the new capital proceeds, though specific details of her findings were not included in the excerpt reviewed for this report.

Scientific American did not specify in the excerpt the exact location within Borneo, the timeline of the forest's transformation, or which species or ecosystems might be affected, beyond describing the forest as "quickly changing" as a result of the capital move.

The full podcast episode, published by Scientific American, offers additional detail on the reporting and observations made by Varjacques during her time in the forest, the publication indicated.