Nickel Downstream Leads to Uncontrollable Deforestation in North Maluku, Environmental Groups Report

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - North Maluku's Halmahera Study Forum of Foshal, The Indonesian Forum for Environment, Trend Asia, and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation revealed a plethora of problems found in the nickel downstream agenda. The Jokowi-initiated program in North Maluku, for example, led to a massive deforestation issue.

The head of the advocacy and campaign division of North Maluku's Foshal Julfikar Sangaji said that nickel downstream triggered nickel ore miners to aggressively mow down forests, a one-way path to an out-of-control deforestation. 

"Nickel ore mining is preceded by land clearing, so it's impossible to avoid forest loss," Julfikas told Tempo on Monday.

More than 213,960 hectares of forests have been decimated for nickel downstream in three locations with mining business licenses or IUP.

In East Halmahera, there are 19 IUPs with mining concessions of around 101,047.21 hectares. Meanwhile in Central Halmahera, 13 IUPS with mining concession of 10,390 hectares were reported in addition to the 15 IUPS and 32,236 hectares of mining concession in South Halmahera. As many as four IUPs are located in East and Central Halmahera simultaneously, with a total of 70,287 hectares of mining concession. In conclusion, Julfikar said, forest loss occurs predominantly in nickel ore mining operational areas.

According to Global Forest Watch data from 2001 to 2022, Central Halmahera has lost 26,100 hectares of tree cover, with East Halmahera more than 56,300 hectares and South Halmahera with 79,000 hectares of tree cover. 

In North Maluku, there are three nickel ore downstream industry areas. Two are Harita Nickel in Obi Island, South Halmahera, and PT Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park which has been integrated with PT Weda Bay Nickel in Weda, Central Halmahera. 

In Buli, East Halmahera, the government is planning to develop an EV batteries component factory this year, headed by LG and SOEs consortiums, the Indonesia Battery Corporation.

These three areas, Julfikar claimed, have been given the red carpet as national strategic projects (PSN). The downstream nickel industry areas are deemed National Vital Objects and never failed to have military and police personnel in their perimeter.

The environmental degradation in these areas causes great suffering for the people of North Maluku. Indeed, data showed that nickel downstream increased the region's economic growth. However, the poverty rate also spikes simultaneously.

Statistics Indonesia recorded that people in poverty have increased to 83,800 people in North Maluku compared to the same period with 79,870 people. Thus, data showed that nickel downstream in North Maluku is enjoyed only by certain parties without giving much thought to ordinary residents.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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