Social dynamics, economic vulnerability, and community welfare in the Buffer Zone of Indonesia’s New Capital (IKN), East Kalimantan

¹ Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
² Department of Communication and Community Development Sciences, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
³ School of Business, IPB University, Bogor 16128, Indonesia
⁴ Urban and Regional Planning Study Program, Kalimantan Institute of Technology, Balikpapan 76127, Indonesia
⁵ Faculty of Economics, Business and Politics, Muhammadiyah University of East Kalimantan, Samarinda 75124, Indonesia
⁶ Agroecotechnology Study Program, Mulawarman University, Samarinda 75119, Indonesia
⁷ Department of Resource Management and Consumer Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
⁸ Department of Forest Resource Conservation and Ecotourims, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: mega_juntak@apps.ipb.ac.id

Abstract

The North Penajam Paser Regency in East Kalimantan Province has been selected as the new capital city of Indonesia, known as the Capital City of the Archipelago (IKN). This development significantly impacts the local community, particularly those residing in the buffer zone of the new capital. This study aims to assess the Human Development Index (HDI) and the welfare of coastal and non-coastal communities within the IKN buffer zone. Using census sampling, the study involved 5,353 families from eight villages in the buffer zone, comprised of coastal and non-coastal areas. Findings revealed that the HDI was generally low across the study areas, with only two regions displaying modest HDI scores, indicating that the population remains underprivileged. This research contributes to the social humanities field by providing insights into the welfare of communities affected by the establishment of the new capital. This area has been relatively underexplored in existing literature.