Palu, 22 October 2024 — Several civil society organizations from East Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and North Maluku held discussions ahead of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) in Cali, Colombia, from October 21 to November 1, 2024. These organizations met on Friday (October 11) in Palu to discuss biodiversity management amidst the challenges of energy transition and the impacts of expanding transition mineral industries, especially nickel mining.
The others are the People’s Ecology and Emancipation Action (AEER), Walhi of Central Sulawesi, Walhi of South Sulawesi, Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) from East Kalimantan, Yayasan Tanah Merdeka / FKL (Free Land Foundation), Forest Watch Indonesia, and a number of local organizations such as the Komiu Foundation, Wallacea Association, Fakawele Community, and Save Sagea Coalition.
These civil society organizations called on biodiversity management in the transition to new energy sources and the negative impact of expanded mining, particularly nickel mining. AEER called on the government to reduce nickel mining concessions and halt destructive mining on small islands like Obi, Halmahera, Gebe, and Waigeo that have high vulnerability to ecosystem damage.
Transition minerals are needed to minimize coal as an energy source, said Pius Ginting, coordinator of the AEER. Coal is also use that contributes to the loss of ecosystems. He added that overlaps in conservation values, for example, in Kalimantan alone, coal mining areas overlap with High Conservation Value Areas at 1.8 percent out of its total area of 6.63 million hectares. Similarly, nickel mining areas in Central Sulawesi are at 5.4 percent and North Maluku at 2.7 percent. Transition energy cannot be merely oriented towards attaining low carbon emission targets without considering the ecological impact. Quite important damage on coasts and land in Central and South Sulawesi by nickel industries is being witnessed – livelihoods get destroyed.
Field observations conducted by AEER itself in Morowali in August 2024, coupled with the results of an FGD in Palu, uncovered the presence of at least 21 endangered species within nickel mining areas, including the mountain anoa (Bubalus quarlesi), the knobbed hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix), and the babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa). The Komiu Foundation (Compass for Forest Care) reinforced this by underlining the threats posed by nickel mining to rare species. According to Gifvents, the Director of the Komiu Foundation, onshore mining in the coastal areas also causes damage to the mangrove ecosystem, which plays an important role in carbon storage.
Involvement of Local and Indigenous Communities in Decision-Making
The Free Land Foundation called for greater involvement by local and indigenous communities in the planning and decision-making process concerning mining activities. Recognition of nickel industrial areas often coincides with the areas of many indigenous communities in Central Halmahera, Morowali, and North Morowali. The struggle for land rights places them in opposition to criminalization. Article 8 of Law 32/2024 explains that forests owned by indigenous people can be set as Preservation Areas as long as the ownership and management for the protection of their rights remain with the communities.
Richard, Director of the Free Land Foundation, noted that ecosystem destruction harms local communities inhabiting the areas surrounding the systems. He also said that destruction of the environment may be harmful enough to increase human-wildlife conflict. “In Morowali, the Taa community uses several types of wood, such as bitti (Vitex cofassus), damar (Agathis alba), and kumea (Manilkara celebica), as part of their way of life. However, massive mining activities threaten the sustainability of these resources,” Richard said.
Forest Watch Indonesia also emphasized how indigenous community suffering is related to the presence of the nickel industry from mining to industrial areas in Halmahera, North Maluku, along with corrupt practices. All sorts of land conflicts are continuing to occur between communities and companies, which are often backed up by security forces. While the indigenous communities are rendered helpless, like Librek from Gemaf Village, who fought against PT Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) since it snatched away his land without compensation.
Meanwhile, living space is also being destroyed for other indigenous communities in Halmahera: the permits for industrial zones, starting with nickel mines up to processing plants, have taken over the living space of the Sawai Indigenous Community in Weda, Central Halmahera. The IWIP concession areas alone include at least four Sawai Indigenous Communities: Lelilef Woebulen, Lelilef Sawai, Gemaf, and Sagea. “The nickel industry is not only destroying the forests but also taking away the living space of the indigenous communities,” said Anggi Prayoga, FWI campaigner. “Such practice cannot be justified under the global climate change agenda.”
Concrete Steps Forward
Yusman, Head of Programs for Walhi Central Sulawesi, explained, “In Central Sulawesi, ecosystem destruction from nickel mining has reached a very worrying level, particularly in the coastal and small island areas. If that is not soon brought to an end, we will see the loss of invaluable biodiversity and destruction of ecosystems which are the livelihood support of thousands of local people.”
Walhi South Sulawesi also echoed the call not to let conservation areas and biodiversity be sacrificed in the name of industrial interests. As Muhammad Al Amin, Walhi South Sulawesi Director explained, Indonesia can learn from the destructive impact of coal mining in East Kalimantan. He said, “.the destruction of East Kalimantan for coal mining should be a lesson that is worth its value for us, so that this destructive impact is not transferred to Sulawesi and North Maluku in the Wallacea region. What is needed is concrete steps, including utilizing space for negotiations with other countries to discuss the protection of biodiversity in Eastern Indonesia.”
Jatam East Kalimantan also mentioned the urgency of a real and evident energy transition. According to Mareta, Director of Jatam East Kalimantan, what the government should do is take actual steps, for example, to stop the false energy transition models which still rely on coal as a source for hazardous industries such as nickel. This false transition is killing key species in East Kalimantan-the biggest coal supplier-and Eastern Indonesia, the site of industrial transition. The forum can also push the government to observe the principles of fairness in production and consumption within the transition chain. “COP 16 UNCBD can give essential input, based on the findings from Indonesia – through the FGD – in pushing for assessments and audits of the systems and companies involved,” Mareta said.
Because of that, civil society organizations called for mining and transition mineral industrial companies in Indonesia to be oriented based on several points of the “Global Biodiversity Framework” or, for short, the KMGBF-Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Specific points, such as numbers 2, 4, 7, 15, and 18 in the KM-GBF, are those that especially need to be brought by Indonesia’s CSOs to COP 16. It is expected that increased global attention and support for biodiversity protection in Indonesia will further encourage both the Indonesian government and foreign business actors in the transition mineral industry to consistently implement the KM-GBF.
