Indonesia's Nickel Mining Hurting Forests

Indonesia aims to be the world's top nickel supplier. But its efforts to produce nickel have seriously harmed the country's forests, noNPRofit groups say.

Natural resources

Indonesia is the world's third most rainforest-covered country, home to giant forest flowers and rare wild animals such as orangutans and elephants.

Indonesia also has the largest reserves of nickel in the world. The metal lies in shallow deposits in the rain forest. Mining it is easy when the rainforest is cut down.

Until recently, Indonesia mostly sold its nickel deposits in untreated form. It did not have factories to process the metal. UNPRocessed nickel sells for less than the processed product.

Ten years ago, Indonesian officials decided the country should stop selling its resources at such a low cost. Instead, officials said Indonesia would process the metal so it would sell at a higher price. This would result in more job openings, also, officials said.

A large nickel-processing project began. Indonesian President Joko Widodo pushed the project further by building nickel factories, or smelters, near electric vehicle battery factories. In addition to the new nickel plants, coal power plants were built also to serve the new industrial sites.

Forest loss

More than 740,000 square kilometers of Indonesian rainforest have been logged, burned or degraded, since 1950, reports the non-profit research group Global Forest Watch.

But at the sites where developers are building these smelters, the surrounding forest disappears twice as fast, a new study by the Indonesian noNPRofit Auriga says.

The new study of rainforest loss, based on government data, shows deforestation rose from an average of 33 square kilometers around each nickel processing plant, or smelter, to 63 square kilometers.

Indonesia plans to build as many as 22 new plants. If plans go through deforestation will likely greatly increase.

“The damage to the environment is devastating,” said Timer Manurung of Auriga. “...Rivers are polluted, mangroves are cut to develop smelter areas, coastal areas and coral are being damaged by the smelters.”

The waste from coal power plants is another problem, he said. The Associated Press verified the methodology used in the Auriga report.

Effects

The area of Weda Bay is now one of the world's largest nickel production centers. Smelters and coal-fired power plants burn to process nickel ore into material for batteries and steel.

The village of Lelilef Sawai is now surrounded by the Weda Bay Industrial Park. There, the deforestation and its effects are clear. Local farmer Librek Loha remains in Lelilef Sawai, refusing to sell the land he has taken care of for forty years. Now orange dust often covers his plants and clean water is often lacking. The plants also grow more slowly, he said.

From his land, he can hear building sounds and see bright orange material flow into the sea. Research shows landslides are far more likely in deforested areas.

Max Sigoro, 54, is a traditional hunter and farmer. Bright lights and noise from construction scare the deer he used to hunt at night. He says he has lost nearly all the means he had to earn a living since the industrial park's growth.

PT Indonesia Weda Bay officials declined to speak to the Associated Press.

The company says it has planted more than 10 square kilometers of new trees. It says it plays an active part in supporting the living standards of local people, offering economic development. And, the industrial zone meets all environmental standards, PT Indonesia Weda Bay says.

The company also says it works to protect water and has launched coral and mangrove planting programs.

The Weda Bay project is just one of the industrial parks criticized by locals nearby. An industrial park on the island of Borneo and other projects in North Maluku are also under community protests.

Perhaps related to these public objections, European companies may be losing interest in nickel from Indonesia.

In recent weeks, the French mining company Eramet and German chemical giant BASF announced they were canceling plans to build a $2.6 billion nickel plant in Indonesia.

Indonesia has been seeking to work more with Tesla, which uses twice as much metal in its total production of batteries than the next highest auto competitor. The amount of nickel Tesla used in 2023 was up a third over the year before. Only 13 percent came from Indonesia last year. But Tesla's 2023 impact report noted Indonesia 18 times and warned the country's nickel will be very important.

Tesla did not answer an AP email requesting information about its use of nickel from Indonesia and deforestation.

Questions to Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs and Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources also went unanswered.

I'm John Russell.

And I'm Ashley Thompson.

Victoria Milko, Ed Davey, and Camille Fassett reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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shallow – adj. having little depth

deposit – n. a natural accumulation of something (ore, oil, etc.)

battery – n. a cell that gives electricity

devastating – adj. causing great damage or harm

mangrove – n. tropical maritime trees or shrubs that send out many roots and form dense masses