Mining should never be allowed in protected forest areas<\/p>\n
Julia Kalmirah, Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (Kehati) and
\nIgor O'Neill, Mineral Policy Institute, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Biodiversity in Indonesia is threatened by a mining industry
\nthat is pushing the government to grant exemptions to Forestry
\nLaw No. 41\/1999, which prohibits opencast mining in protected
\nareas. On July 18, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources
\ndirector general for geology and mineral resources Wimpy S.
\nTjetjep publicly admitted that the total number of mining
\ncompanies seeking permission for opencast mining in protected
\nforest areas was 158.<\/p>\n
Mining is encroaching into many fragile ecosystems, and what
\nis at stake is a healthy environment and local livelihoods. The
\nopinion piece by Indonesian Mining Association (IMA) executive
\ndirector P.L. Coutrier, published by The Jakarta Post on July 30,
\npresented a shortsighted perspective encouraging exploitation of
\nnatural resources as a vehicle for economic development.<\/p>\n
Forest protection, biodiversity conservation and prevention of
\ndevastating floods in Indonesia rely heavily on the protected
\nforest and conservation area system. Indonesian protected forest
\nareas are few but are sites of rich biodiversity with profuse
\nendemic flora and fauna species, as well as the homelands of
\nindigenous communities. Biodiversity underpins the environmental
\nservices necessary to maintaining productivity and a healthy and
\nstable environment, upon which local, regional and global
\ncommunities depend -- services such as biodegradation, soil
\naeration, fertilization and carbon sequestration.<\/p>\n
The mining industry, without needing to enter protected areas,
\nalready has a vast area under leases covering 66.89 million
\nhectares, which is equal to 35 percent of Indonesia's land area.
\nNot satisfied, the mining industry has been relentlessly lobbying
\nthe government to open up new protected areas for mining. The
\ngovernments of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom are also
\nlobbying on behalf of their multinational mining company giants,
\nBHP Billiton, Newcrest, Placer Dome and Rio Tinto, on the matter
\nof mining in protected areas.<\/p>\n
Multibillion-dollar mining giants are portraying themselves as
\nhapless victims of an arbitrary bureaucratic decision to restrict
\nmining development through unfair environmental regulations. In
\nfact, many of the 158 leases are in areas that have been
\nclassified as protected forest for many years. It was always the
\ncase that these areas were not appropriate for mining, and it was
\nin 1999 that the government clarified the situation and banned
\nopencast mining in protected areas.<\/p>\n
The push to grant exemptions to companies that seek to mine in
\nprotected areas has been met with strong opposition from local
\ngovernments, civil society, indigenous communities and concerned
\ncitizens. South Kalimantan Legislative Council (DPRD) has called
\non the government to reject the application by Placer Dome to
\nmine in the Meratus Mountain forest area. The Meratus Dayak and
\nSamihim council has also objected to the mine, as it will
\nencroach on their sources of water, sacred sites and livelihoods.<\/p>\n
In Maluku, 38 village heads from Halmahera regency, and the
\nKao and Malifut Indigenous Community Council, have expressed
\noutrage at the current resource management scheme, and
\nspecifically the potential granting of a mining permit for
\nNewcrest in the Toguraci protected forest.<\/p>\n
The claim by the Indonesian Mining Association that "there
\nwill be no threat to any area of biodiversity" is a flagrant lie.
\nBHP Billiton's project to mine Gag Island, a protected forest
\nwest of Papua, will dump dangerous mine waste into the ocean,
\nemploying the controversial submarine tailings disposal
\ntechnique.<\/p>\n
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
\n(UNESCO) sent a letter to the House of Representatives in June
\nidentifying Gag Island's world heritage potential because of its
\nhigh biodiversity: 505 species of coral, which is an
\nextraordinary 64 percent of all known coral species in the world,
\nand 1,065 fish species, amongst the highest fish diversity in the
\nworld. UNESCO warned the government of "possible environmental
\nimpacts of mining operations and related submarine tailing
\ndisposal on Gag Island in the Raja Empat Archipelago."<\/p>\n
The IMA assertion that mine pits only encompass a small land
\narea ignores the fact that the 'ecological footprint' of mining
\nextends well beyond the mine site. Extensive offsite impacts
\noccur due to erosion, water contamination, release of toxic waste
\nand access for illegal logging. Not only do company attempts at
\nrevegetation often fail, as in the Indo Muro Kencana mine in
\nCentral Kalimantan, but even the best programs can never recreate
\nlost biodiversity. The international conservation agreements
\nratified by Indonesia recognize that environments that are
\nbiodiversity-poor are vulnerable to change triggered by
\nenvironmental, social or economic factors.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has committed to the global conservation of
\nprotected areas by ratifying the Convention on Biological
\nDiversity (CBD) and agreed to the Statement of Forest Principles.
\nIt is part of the United Nations Forest Forum (UNFF). We
\ntherefore must honor these international treaties by prohibiting
\nactivities, such as mining in protected areas, that threaten
\nbiodiversity and forests.<\/p>\n
The environmental impact analysis (Amdal) is often dismissed
\nas a sham. There is no mechanism for public consultation or
\nparticipation by impacted communities. Private environment
\nconsultants, hired by mining companies to conduct impact studies,
\nare not independent.<\/p>\n
The statement of a high official at the Office of the State
\nMinister of the Environment that mining companies were left out
\nof the 2002 environmental audit process (PROPER) highlights the
\nlack of government capacity to regulate mining impacts.<\/p>\n
The IMA claims that the prohibition on mining in protected
\nareas came from the "euphoria of democracy and reform." This
\ntrivializes legislation drafted in the best interests of the
\npublic, which is the mandate of a democratically elected
\ngovernment. Preserving protected forest areas via a prohibition
\non opencast mining promotes a sustainable future for all
\nIndonesians.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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