One of Earth’s most biodiverse marine regions is threatened by the expansion of nickel mining projects in Indonesia, a new report showed.
Satellite analysis and on-the-ground visits found a rapid increase in land given over to mining pits in Raja Ampat Regency, a group of tropical islands near West Papua, according to the report from Auriga Nusantara, an environmental and conservation organization in Indonesia.
A few degrees south of the equator, the islands are home to 75 percent of the world’s coral species and more than 1,600 fish species, including critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles and vulnerable reef manta rays.
Photo: Auriga Nusantara / AFP
The regency has at least nine marine protected areas spread over nearly 2 million hectares, and was named a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2023, recognizing the international value of its geological heritage.
Much of the materials mined in Indonesia fuel the international supply chain for stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries and more.
Experts said they fear that continued expansion of mining — which more than tripled in the area over the past five years — would lead to further deforestation, water pollution and disruption of the area’s precious ecosystem.
Auriga Nusantara’s report found that land used for mining in Raja Ampat grew by about 494 hectares from 2020 through last year. That was about three times the rate of expansion from the previous five years. The total permit area for mining in Raja Ampat — all for nickel — is more than 22,420 hectares.
Felled trees and open pits of orange-brown gravel and earth scar the islands where mining has started, Auriga Nusantara said.
Sediment from the mines could also be seen along the islands’ coasts as it was carried away by the ocean’s current.
“As long as the nickel mining continues to operate, the sediment will destroy coral and its surrounding ocean ecosystem,” Auriga Nusantara director Timer Manurung said. ”It’s really a threat for Raja Ampat, as the archipelago is known for ocean biodiversity and richness that makes it an international tourism destination.”
With the world’s largest known nickel reserves and rich deposits of cobalt, bauxite and other materials, Indonesia has been experiencing a mining boom on demand for stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries and more that are needed for the global energy transition.
The island nation has sought to expand its mining and processing capabilities while facing backlash from international and local watchdogs for various environmental concerns.
New mining pits were on at least four islands in the regency, the report said. One island with mining is within the UNESCO Global Geopark area.
Experts said the expansion of mining in Raja Ampat could have a disastrous effect on the rich marine ecosystem.
“Sedimentation, or the waste runoff generated from the mining on land that flows into the water, devastates downstream marine ecosystems,” said Victor Nikijuluw, a program adviser for Indonesia-based environmental organization Konservasi Indonesia.
“This muddy flow from mining clouds, waters, smothers coral reefs, displaces the animals that can leave the area, and generally endangers the nature that local biodiversity and communities depend on,” he added.
The diverse natural landscape and world-class diving destination has become a growing tourism draw for Indonesia: In 2023 the area drew more than 19,800 tourists, more than three times the number that visited in 2022, Statistics Indonesia data showed.
Local communities who rely on the area for their local livelihoods — including subsistence fishing for food and tourism-related activities for income — have said they have noticed decreased water quality since mining began, said marine ecologist Edy Setyawan, who works in Raja Ampat.
“They’ve seen the water get murkier and murkier,” he said.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS