How Sulawesi Exceeded Its Ecological Capacity: Celios Explains<\/p>\n
Reporter<\/p>\n
September 17, 2026 | 08:37 pm<\/p>\n
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The latest study by the Center of Economic and\nLaw Studies (Celios) reveals that the environmental carrying capacity\nand ecological boundaries of Sulawesi Island have been breached. Based\non evaluations across air, water, land, social, and policy enforcement\nparameters, Sulawesi recorded an aggregate score of 4.5 out of 5,\ncategorized it as \u201cexceeding limits.\u201d<\/p>\n
The finding forms part of a report titled Beyond Limits: The Failure\nof Environmental Carrying and Assimilative Capacity (D3TLH) to Control\nthe Expansion of Extractive Industries in Sulawesi. The research team\ntracked the footprint of mining, plantations, smelters, captive steam\npower plants, and industrial estates, alongside their impacts from 2014\nto 2024.<\/p>\n
Muhamad Saleh, Policy and Strategic Litigation Program Manager at\nCelios, emphasized that the crisis confronting the central Indonesian\nisland stems not only from environmental pressures, but also from flawed\nregulatory frameworks. \u201cAn \u2018exceeding limits\u2019 status does not\nautomatically freeze new concessions, trigger reviews of existing\npermits, or mandate environmental remediation,\u201d Saleh noted in a written\nstatement on Thursday, September 17, 2026.<\/p>\n
He argued that the D3TLH framework ought to be the baseline for\ndetermining a region\u2019s capacity to absorb new commercial development.\nThe results of these analyses should ideally shape spatial planning,\nEnvironmental Impact Assessments (AMDAL), environmental approvals, and\nlicensing decisions. However, the Celios study indicates these\ninstruments have failed to curb the expansion of extractive industries\nin Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Between 2014 and 2024, regulatory authorities in Sulawesi granted 574\nnew mining permits. Roughly 60 percent of those permits were approved in\njust the final two years, a period when environmental degradation had\nalready intensified. Celios calculates that an average of one hectare of\nland in Sulawesi was handed over to mining permit holders every six\nminutes.<\/p>\n
Even in ecologically critical zones, the government issued 277 new\nmining permits covering 440,998 hectares. These findings highlight a\nbreakdown between ecological data, spatial planning, and licensing\ndecisions. In other words, D3TLH has failed to act as a legal buffer\nagainst over-exploitation. \u201cIf the critical status of a region can still\nbe ignored, D3TLH will only be an administrative document that appears\nafter development decisions have been made,\u201d Saleh said.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that D3TLH regulations require an overhaul so that an\n\u201cexceeding limits\u201d status halts new permits, triggers evaluations of\nexisting concessions, mandates public access to ecological data, and\nenforces environmental restoration.<\/p>\n
Dual Ecological Pressures in Sulawesi<\/p>\n
Celios noted that mining and oil palm plantations accounted for\nroughly 82.2 percent of deforestation in Sulawesi from 2014 to 2023.\nDeforestation driven by these two sectors was approximately 18 times\ngreater than that caused by shifting cultivation.<\/p>\n
The report traced how deforestation mirrored shifts in the regional\neconomy. Over a decade, the contribution of manufacturing and mining to\nCentral Sulawesi\u2019s economy surged from 15.5 percent to 55.8 percent.\nConversely, the share of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries plummeted\nfrom 34.3 percent to 15.8 percent. \u201cPeople are increasingly distant from\nnature and their life\u2019s roots, while the social bonds that have been a\nsafety net are slowly fading,\u201d Saleh said.<\/p>\n
Celios researcher Viky Arthiando added that ecological pressures also\nstem from the construction of smelters and dedicated power plants\nservicing industrial estates. \u201cAbout 78 percent of nickel processing and\nrefining facilities in Sulawesi are concentrated in Central and\nSoutheast Sulawesi,\u201d Viky said in the same statement.<\/p>\n
These two provinces account for 93.9 percent of the total\n9,825-megawatt capacity generated by captive power plants in Sulawesi.\nNearly 10,000 megawatts of electricity are generated exclusively for\nindustrial zones rather than the public power grid. Consequently, the\nindustrial sector captures the economic benefits while surrounding\ncommunities endure the resulting pollution and health risks.<\/p>\n
The nickel industry in Central and Southeast Sulawesi is estimated to\ngenerate 32.8 million tons of hazardous and toxic waste annually.\nMeanwhile, researchers documented 269 sightings of seven endemic species\nwithin or near active mining concessions and nickel industrial\nareas.<\/p>\n
Public health burdens have also escalated near industrial hubs.\nCentral industrial districts record an average of 5,353 cases of acute\nrespiratory infections (ARI) and pneumonia each year, nearly double the\n2,634 cases recorded in non-industrial areas.<\/p>\n
Dengue fever cases in industrial districts average 47.5 cases per\nyear, roughly three times higher than the 15.5 cases recorded in\nnon-extractive zones. Yet, this expanding health crisis stands in sharp\ncontrast to available medical infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Industrial hubs average only 85 community health centers (Puskesmas)\nand 59 hospitals, compared to 90 health centers and 72 hospitals in\nnon-industrial areas. Furthermore, compliance with national standards\nfor healthcare infrastructure and medical equipment stands at 74.35\npercent, falling short of the government\u2019s 80 percent target.<\/p>\n
Unresolved Agrarian Conflicts<\/p>\n
Industrial expansion has also intensified land and habitat disputes.\nThe Celios study documented 95 agrarian conflicts affecting 90,582\nresidents across 59 communities. To date, 51 conflicts remain\nunresolved, while 46 resulted in security clashes that led to 93\narrests, four injuries, and one fatality.<\/p>\n
Celios calculated that cumulative ecological losses from extractive\nindustry expansion in Sulawesi have exceeded Rp100 trillion. This figure\naccounts for the loss of primary forest functions, degradation of\ncoastal and coral reef ecosystems, and the loss of freshwater<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/how-sulawesi-exceeded-its-ecological-capacity-celios-explains-1789660877", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }