Global demand spurring Indonesia’s mining boom comes at a cost for many communities
Associated Press
KABAENA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s mining industry is rapidly expanding on demand for the minerals needed to help power the global energy transition, like nickel, cobalt and bauxite. But experts say it’s coming at a cost for thousands of communities across the vast archipelago. On the small island of Kabaena, Indigenous villagers are no longer able to fish, farm seaweed or safely swim in the sea they’ve relied on for generations. The impacts and mining continue despite a ruling this year from Indonesia’s constitutional court that small islands such as Kabaena require special protection from abnormally dangerous activities, including mining, as they threaten ecosystems in vulnerable areas.
