Legislator Urges Government to Improve Mining Environmental Governance
Jakarta – A member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Robert J. Kardinal, has urged the government to immediately undertake comprehensive improvements and evaluation of mining environmental governance to prevent recurrence of events such as those in the PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) area, Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi.
According to him, the flood and landslide tragedy that claimed lives in the IMIP area serves as a national alarm regarding weak environmental governance in industrial mining zones.
“The incident at IMIP cannot be viewed merely as a natural disaster; we must investigate the connection between watershed conditions, mining activities, and the effectiveness of environmental permit oversight in the area,” he stated in his remarks in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Based on information from the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB), a landslide occurred in the PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) area in Labota Village, Bahodopi District, Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi on Wednesday (18 February).
He emphasised that the primary focus of the government and business actors must be directed towards preventive solutions. Sustainable watershed management has become key to reducing the risk of floods and landslides, particularly in regions with high-intensity mining activities.
Watershed rehabilitation around Morowali, he continued, must become a priority, reforestation, strengthening riverbanks, and erosion control cannot be postponed as damage in the upstream area could increase disaster risk, especially during extreme weather.
Furthermore, he urged the government to conduct comprehensive environmental audits in the IMIP area and surroundings, including mapping of critical land, erosion levels, water retention capacity, and identification of active and abandoned mining areas that have not been optimally rehabilitated.
Robert also emphasised the importance of evaluating the flood control system in the industrial zone.
Every mining industrial zone must have spatial planning that considers environmental carrying capacity, drainage capacity, and water catchment management.
“Strategic industrial zones must be built with clear and measurable mitigation systems. This concerns both worker safety and investment sustainability,” he stated.
“If rehabilitation is not properly implemented, then permits must be evaluated. Strict enforcement of regulations is necessary to prevent similar incidents from recurring,” he said.
For medium and long-term prevention, he added, environmental monitoring technology must be utilised. Systems based on satellite data and hydrological sensors are deemed important for detecting potential water discharge surges early on and supporting rapid decision-making.
According to him, the involvement of industry actors in financing and implementing environmental rehabilitation must also be clarified. Industries that benefit economically from nickel downstream processing are considered to have legal and moral responsibility to maintain environmental conditions in the upstream area.
“The objective is clear: to prevent similar incidents from recurring. Human safety and environmental sustainability must be the top priorities,” he stated.
In addition to promoting preventive measures, this member of parliament also called on the responsible company to compensate victims and their families, including fulfilment of social security rights and compensation in accordance with applicable regulations.