JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — One of Earth's most biodiverse marine regions is threatened by the expansion of nickel mining projects in Indonesia, according to a new report.
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% of the world’s coral species and over 1,600 fish species, including critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles and vulnerable reef manta rays. The regency has at least nine marine protected areas spread over nearly 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres), and was named a 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 fear that continued expansion of mining — which more than tripled in the area the past five years — will 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 (about 1,220 acres) from 2020 through 2024. 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, or about 55,400 acres.
Felled trees and open pits of orange-brown gravel and earth scar the islands where mining has started, according to Auriga Nusantara. 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,” said Timer Manurung, the director of Auriga Nusantara. ”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 to expand its mining and processing capabilities while facing backlash from international and local watchdogs for various
New mining pits were located on at least four islands in the regency, according to the report. One island where mining has occurred is located within the UNESCO Global Geopark area.
Experts fear the expansion of mining in Raja Ampat could have a disastrous impact 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 advisor for Indonesia-based environmental organization Konservasi Indonesia, in recent written responses to questions from The Associated Press.
“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.”
The diverse natural landscape and world-class diving destination has become a growing tourism draw for Indonesia: In 2023 the area drew over 19,800 tourists, more than three times the number that visited in 2022, Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics.
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've 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 told AP.
The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association expressed concerns about the expansion of nickel mining in Raja Ampat last year.
Despite a March 2024 ruling by Indonesia’s constitutional court that small islands require special protection from abnormally dangerous activities — including mining — as they threaten ecosystems in vulnerable areas, mining continues to have a .
In a December 2024 written response to AP questions on why small islands were still being mined in Indonesia, Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said there is a “critical need for rigorous environmental impact assessments and sustainable development practices" for small islands.
The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about mining in Raja Ampat.
The UNESCO Global Geopark did not respond to a request for comment from AP.
Despite the court ruling, Indonesia’s government is still issuing mining permits for small islands, said Sayyidatiihayaa Afra, a researcher at Satya Bumi, a nonprofit environmental organization based in Indonesia.
“The energy transition — including nickel mining — should not ignore environmental regulations,” she said. “Otherwise it's neither just or sustainable.”
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