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	<channel>
		<title>Conservation news</title>
		<atom:link href="https://news.mongabay.com/feed/?location=west-java&#038;type=post" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/west-java/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:41:10 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<title>West Java environmental news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/west-java/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>On the brink of extinction, the Javan green magpie gets a conservation lifeline</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/on-the-brink-of-extinction-the-javan-green-magpie-gets-a-conservation-lifeline/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/on-the-brink-of-extinction-the-javan-green-magpie-gets-a-conservation-lifeline/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Jun 2026 07:48:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sean Mowbray]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/24112135/critically-endangered-Javan-green-magpie-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=321758</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Solutions, Critically Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Habitat Loss, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Teetering on the brink of extinction, Indonesia’s Javan green magpie may have a conservation lifeline after national and international conservation NGOs launched an action plan to preserve it in the wild. Javan green magpies (Cissa thalassina) are endemic to the upland forests of West Java province, but have been assessed as critically endangered, with as [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Teetering on the brink of extinction, Indonesia’s Javan green magpie may have a conservation lifeline after national and international conservation NGOs launched an action plan to preserve it in the wild. Javan green magpies (Cissa thalassina) are endemic to the upland forests of West Java province, but have been assessed as critically endangered, with as few as 50 of the birds remaining in the wild. Habitat loss and poaching for the songbird trade have greatly reduced their numbers and led to local extinctions in some areas. “Very few have ever been recorded in the wild,” says Andrew Owen, head of birds at Chester Zoo in the U.K. “The fact that the Javan green magpie is now so rare is also a reason why some people want to catch them and keep them.” In recent years, the Javan green magpie has barely appeared in markets, experts say, though that’s likely due to its increasing rarity in the wild. Surveys carried out between 2018 and 2021 across 12 previously inhabited sites recorded no birds, raising the alarm. “We must assume that excessive trade has pushed this once reasonably widespread but perhaps never common species to the very brink of extinction,” the authors wrote in a 2023 study. These birds, known locally as ekek geling for their unique call, are sought after as so-called master birds in the songbird trade. Master birds rarely compete and instead are used to “train” competition birds. Javan green magpies received official protected status in 2019. With the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/on-the-brink-of-extinction-the-javan-green-magpie-gets-a-conservation-lifeline/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/on-the-brink-of-extinction-the-javan-green-magpie-gets-a-conservation-lifeline/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-321758</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>In Java, a women’s collective is helping save gibbons through forest-inspired textiles</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-java-a-womens-collective-is-helping-save-gibbons-through-forest-inspired-textiles/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-java-a-womens-collective-is-helping-save-gibbons-through-forest-inspired-textiles/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Jun 2026 02:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Falahi Mubarok]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/01143027/Kain-ecoprint-di-Basecamp-Ambu-Halimun-Foto_-Falahi-Mubarok-3--768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320422</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Apes, Biodiversity, Business, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Forests, Gibbons, Industry, Natural Resources, Primates, Wildlife, and Women In Science]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BOGOR, Indonesia — In a village bordering Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park on the Indonesian island of Java, local people browse a row of fabrics carrying impressions of plants and the silhouette of the forest’s silvery gibbon. They are made by the women-led Ambu Halimun collective, whose name translates to “mothers of Halimun” in the local [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BOGOR, Indonesia — In a village bordering Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park on the Indonesian island of Java, local people browse a row of fabrics carrying impressions of plants and the silhouette of the forest’s silvery gibbon. They are made by the women-led Ambu Halimun collective, whose name translates to “mothers of Halimun” in the local dialect. The project focused on boiling and pressing distinctive local plants into motifs on fabric, which drew women like Mirna Maharani into closer observation of the vegetation surrounding the village of Citalahab. Species once overlooked, even dismissed as weeds, have since acquired new value as sources of color, pattern and identity, Mirna explained. “Now, we are preserving them,” said Mirna, 30, a mother of two. Formed in 2020 during the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the goal of Ambu Halimun was to engage women in conservation while providing an arena to uplift economic agency and professional development. Ambu Halimun is a women&#8217;s empowerment group that produces eco-friendly textiles in Bogor, West Java. Image by Falahi Mubarok/Mongabay Indonesia. Primatologist Rahayu Oktaviani, co-founder of the Kiara Foundation, which came up with the Ambu Halimun initiative, said she wanted to seed an original approach to conservation that would benefit women in Citalahab. “The forest isn’t something that is separate to them,” Rahayu told Mongabay Indonesia. “That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re building a sense of ownership.” Last year, Rahayu received the Whitley Award in recognition of her organization’s grassroots conservation work with Java’s silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch), which included the work&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-java-a-womens-collective-is-helping-save-gibbons-through-forest-inspired-textiles/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-java-a-womens-collective-is-helping-save-gibbons-through-forest-inspired-textiles/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-320422</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Facebook shuts Indonesia groups after Mongabay and Bellingcat report illegal wildlife trade</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/facebook-shuts-indonesia-groups-after-mongabay-and-bellingcat-report-illegal-wildlife-trade/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/facebook-shuts-indonesia-groups-after-mongabay-and-bellingcat-report-illegal-wildlife-trade/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Mar 2026 09:48:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Achmad Rizki MuazamFoeke Postma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/19094632/20251014_153119-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=315939</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporations, Crime, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Gibbons, Green, Illegal Trade, Law, Law Enforcement, Mammals, Monkeys, Pet Trade, Poaching, Social Media, Trade, Tropical Forests, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This story was produced in collaboration with Bellingcat. Read their version here, and Mongabay-Indonesia&#8217;s version here. JAKARTA — A new report by Mongabay and independent journalism organization Bellingcat has uncovered several Facebook groups selling protected species in Indonesia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. In a Facebook group whose Indonesian name translates [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This story was produced in collaboration with Bellingcat. Read their version here, and Mongabay-Indonesia&#8217;s version here. JAKARTA — A new report by Mongabay and independent journalism organization Bellingcat has uncovered several Facebook groups selling protected species in Indonesia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. In a Facebook group whose Indonesian name translates to “West Bogor Animal Selling and Trading Forum,” reporters last year found a member of that group advertising a rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) for sale. In Indonesia, all hornbill species are protected by law. In comments below the post advertising the caged bird, one member warns: “Careful not to get caught.” “That’s the risk,” replied the seller. Another advertisement featured two infant Javan silvery gibbons (Hylobates moloch), fewer than 2,500 mature individuals of which are left in the wild. This species is also protected by law. The West Bogor Animal Selling and Trading Forum group on Facebook added more than 200 advertisements in just one week. Eighteen of them were for threatened species. In total, reporters uncovered a total of nine Facebook groups selling animals like these threatened apes and hornbills. Three of the groups have been active for more than five years. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, states that trade of animals on its platforms is prohibited. Among thousands of adverts posted in the nine groups were a handful of animal photos with the same poster in frame, giving away the location as Station Sato, a quiet pet store in Cibinong, a southern suburb of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/facebook-shuts-indonesia-groups-after-mongabay-and-bellingcat-report-illegal-wildlife-trade/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/facebook-shuts-indonesia-groups-after-mongabay-and-bellingcat-report-illegal-wildlife-trade/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-315939</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Pilot projects aim to break Indonesia’s habit of burning household waste</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/pilot-projects-aim-to-break-indonesias-habit-of-burning-household-waste/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/pilot-projects-aim-to-break-indonesias-habit-of-burning-household-waste/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Feb 2026 12:51:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/12124327/Sampah-plastik-yang-dibakar-di-sebuah-TPS-di-Gresik-foto-Petrus-Riski-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=314199</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Carbon Emissions, Climate, Climate Change, Environment, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health, Planetary Health, Pollution, Public Health, and Waste]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — When old mattresses and broken chairs are dumped by the roadside in his neighborhood, Erwinsyah faces a choice: leave them there and risk accidents, or set them on fire. The head of a neighborhood unit, or RT, in the city of Bogor, south of Jakarta, Erwinsyah says residents often discard bulky waste such [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — When old mattresses and broken chairs are dumped by the roadside in his neighborhood, Erwinsyah faces a choice: leave them there and risk accidents, or set them on fire. The head of a neighborhood unit, or RT, in the city of Bogor, south of Jakarta, Erwinsyah says residents often discard bulky waste such as used spring beds and furniture along the street. Left unattended, they become an eyesore — and a hazard. “The mattresses are already dirty, smelly, full of rat droppings. So they just get placed by the roadside. But that’s an area where people pass by, children go to school,” Erwinsyah told Mongabay. “If a child walks past and it falls on them, then I’m the one who’ll get blamed as the head of the neighborhood unit.” To prevent that from happening, he sometimes burns the items in an empty field away from houses, staying to monitor the flames. What Erwinsyah describes isn’t unusual. Across Indonesia, open waste burning remains widespread despite being prohibited under the country’s 2008 Waste Management Law. A 2023 national survey by the Ministry of Health found that 57% of Indonesian households still burn their waste , making it the most common method of waste handling. By comparison, 27.6% hand waste over to collectors or informal waste pickers, 8.7% dump it directly at disposal sites, and just 0.1% reported recycling. Open waste burning in Indonesia in 2023. Image courtesy of Ecoton. Health impacts Open waste burning releases a mix of pollutants, including&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/pilot-projects-aim-to-break-indonesias-habit-of-burning-household-waste/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/pilot-projects-aim-to-break-indonesias-habit-of-burning-household-waste/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-314199</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Five detained over alleged hunting in Javan leopard habitat</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/five-detained-over-alleged-hunting-in-javan-leopard-habitat/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/five-detained-over-alleged-hunting-in-javan-leopard-habitat/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jan 2026 04:10:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/01/28075814/Macan-tutul-Sanggabuana3-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=313422</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Crime, Endangered Species, Environment, Habitat, Habitat Degradation, Habitat Loss, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Leopards, Mammals, Poaching, Predators, Top Predators, Tropical Forests, Wildlife, Wildlife Rangers, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Indonesian authorities have detained five people in connection with the alleged illegal hunting and shooting of an endangered Javan leopard in the Gunung Sanggabuana conservation forest in West Java, a case that has intensified scrutiny of wildlife protection failures and the limits of enforcement on the ground. The arrests followed the circulation of viral videos [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Indonesian authorities have detained five people in connection with the alleged illegal hunting and shooting of an endangered Javan leopard in the Gunung Sanggabuana conservation forest in West Java, a case that has intensified scrutiny of wildlife protection failures and the limits of enforcement on the ground. The arrests followed the circulation of viral videos and camera trap footage showing suspected hunters operating inside the protected forest. West Java Police Chief Inspector General Rudi Setiawan said the suspects were detained after investigators acted on public reports and digital evidence, and that they will be charged under environmental and wildlife protection laws. Public concern grew after camera trap footage from October through November 2025, released in January 2026, showed a Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) limping with a serious front leg injury, alongside separate clips of suspected poachers carrying firearms, bladed weapons and hunting dogs. Authorities suspect the wound was caused by a gunshot fired by poachers. “The priority now is ensuring the ecosystem remains protected and that there are no further disturbances to wildlife,” Rudi said as quoted by local news portal Kompas on Jan. 27. Footage showing the alleged hunters of the injured Javan leopard. Image courtesy of Sanggabuana Conservation Foundation. The leopard, classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List with an estimated wild population of around 350, is Java’s last surviving top predator following the extinction of the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica). The leopard faces mounting threats from hunting, habitat loss and dwindling prey. Conservationists, however,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/five-detained-over-alleged-hunting-in-javan-leopard-habitat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/five-detained-over-alleged-hunting-in-javan-leopard-habitat/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-313422</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia’s 1st Javan rhino translocation ends in death, in conservation setback</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/indonesias-1st-javan-rhino-translocation-ends-in-death-in-conservation-setback/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/indonesias-1st-javan-rhino-translocation-ends-in-death-in-conservation-setback/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Dec 2025 05:27:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/12/15140841/IMG_berita202511011110-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=311389</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Asian Rhinos]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Javan Rhinos, Mammals, Megafauna, Protected Areas, Rainforests, Rhinos, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Conservation officials have announced the death the first Javan rhino ever translocated as part of Indonesia’s conservation program, marking a setback for efforts to protect the critically endangered species. The Ujung Kulon National Park Authority confirmed on Nov. 27 that the male rhino, named Musofa, died at the Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area (JRSCA) [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Conservation officials have announced the death the first Javan rhino ever translocated as part of Indonesia’s conservation program, marking a setback for efforts to protect the critically endangered species. The Ujung Kulon National Park Authority confirmed on Nov. 27 that the male rhino, named Musofa, died at the Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area (JRSCA) despite intensive veterinary care. Musofa was captured Nov. 3, after entering a pit trap in the Gardu Buruk area of Ujung Kulon National Park as part of a planned genetic-management initiative. After weather and safety assessments, he was moved Nov. 5 to the JRSCA using a military transport vehicle in an operation supported by the Indonesian National Armed Forces and conservation partners. He initially arrived in stable condition and showed early signs of adaptation. However, Musofa’s condition deteriorated Nov. 7, prompting emergency treatment by veterinary teams, and he perished later that afternoon. “All procedures were carried out in accordance with international conservation standards, including simulations, ethical reviews and logistical and security preparedness,” Ardi Andono, head of the park authority, said in a statement. The Javan rhino Musofa in a pit trap on Nov. 3 before translocation. Image courtesy of the Ujung Kulon National Park Authority. Musofa arrived at the Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area (JRSCA). Image courtesy of the Ujung Kulon National Park Authority. A necropsy report dated Nov. 8 found that chronic internal illnesses were the underlying cause of death, with experts at IPB University concluding the rhino had long been weakened by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/indonesias-1st-javan-rhino-translocation-ends-in-death-in-conservation-setback/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/indonesias-1st-javan-rhino-translocation-ends-in-death-in-conservation-setback/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-311389</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Radioactive leak in Banten exposes workers to danger &#038; reveals regulatory failures</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/radioactive-leak-in-banten-exposes-workers-to-danger-reveals-regulatory-failures/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/radioactive-leak-in-banten-exposes-workers-to-danger-reveals-regulatory-failures/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Oct 2025 16:25:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anggita Raissa]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/10/24051542/RADIOAKTIF-CIKANDE-FOTO-3-768x512-1.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=308254</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Crime, Disasters, Energy, Environment, Health, Human Rights, Nuclear Power, Pollution, Public Health, and Waste]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[SERANG, Indonesia — The rain had just passed over Nambo Udik, a village in Cikande, Serang, Banten. The air hung heavy and damp, and puddles lingered in the muddy yard in front of Sakinah and Roni’s home. These days, the couple spends most of their time indoors, gazing out at the quiet street. It has [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[SERANG, Indonesia — The rain had just passed over Nambo Udik, a village in Cikande, Serang, Banten. The air hung heavy and damp, and puddles lingered in the muddy yard in front of Sakinah and Roni’s home. These days, the couple spends most of their time indoors, gazing out at the quiet street. It has been more than a month since they last worked after news broke of radioactive contamination in the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate. Sakinah lost her job when PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods), her employer, abruptly shut down. The closure followed an alarming report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Aug. 19, which detected traces of radioactive material in a frozen shrimp shipment from Indonesia. The contaminated batch was traced back to BMS. Government agencies — including the Ministry of Environment, the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the police bomb squad Gegana — launched an investigation to uncover the radiation source. What they found led back to PT Metal Technology (PMT), a metal smelting plant in the same industrial zone. There, Roni had worked as a helper for more than 10 years. Tests revealed that the radiation came from Cesium-137, a hazardous isotope commonly associated with nuclear waste. By mid-September, both Roni and Sakinah had undergone medical examinations. Blood tests confirmed they had been exposed to radiation. Roni was prescribed Radiogardase, which is designed to flush Cesium-137 from the body. He takes nine of them&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/radioactive-leak-in-banten-exposes-workers-to-danger-reveals-regulatory-failures/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/radioactive-leak-in-banten-exposes-workers-to-danger-reveals-regulatory-failures/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-308254</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia’s giant Java seawall plan sparks criticism &#038; calls for alternatives</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesias-giant-java-seawall-plan-sparks-criticism-calls-for-alternatives/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesias-giant-java-seawall-plan-sparks-criticism-calls-for-alternatives/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2025 01:30:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/10115229/6-Indonesian-village-rising-tidal-floodwaters-768x512-1.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=305716</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Central Java, East Java, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, Tropics, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation To Climate Change, Climate, Climate Change, Climate Justice, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Deforestation, Disasters, Environment, Erosion, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Flooding, Forestry, Forests, Global Environmental Crisis, Impact Of Climate Change, Nature-based climate solutions, Ocean Warming, Oceans, Overfishing, Sea Levels, Solutions, Tropical Deforestation, Tropical Forests, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has set up a new authority to build a massive seawall along the north coast of Java, a project aimed at shielding millions of residents from flooding and sinking land, but observers reject it as a true solution while highlighting risks, elite bias and lack of consultation. The president on Aug. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has set up a new authority to build a massive seawall along the north coast of Java, a project aimed at shielding millions of residents from flooding and sinking land, but observers reject it as a true solution while highlighting risks, elite bias and lack of consultation. The president on Aug. 25 officiated the formation of the North Java Coast Management Authority to oversee the construction of a 700-kilometer (435-mile) seawall from Banten to Gresik, aimed at protecting 20 million coastal residents from erosion, tidal flooding and land subsidence. The $80 billion project will cover planning, financing and construction, with officials hoping to attract investors while addressing environmental and social impacts. Prabowo appointed retired Vice Admiral Didit Herdiawan Ashaf, who’s currently the vice fisheries minister, to lead the new government agency, with Darwin Djajawinata and Suhajar Diantoro serving as vice chairs. The agency will oversee planning, financing and construction of the seawall, addressing environmental and social considerations, and its head can adjust plans as needed. “Why two vice chairs? Because managing the North Coast (Pantura) will inevitably involve investment. One vice chair was appointed from Danantara. The other represents the government, specifically the Ministry of Home Affairs, given that this project will span five provinces on Java Island,” State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi told reporters in Jakarta as quoted by local media Tempo. &nbsp; Tidal floodwaters engulf Timbulsloko village. Image by Nuswantoro/Mongabay Indonesia. A 2023 study found that major northern Javan cities, including Jakarta, Pekalongan, Semarang and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesias-giant-java-seawall-plan-sparks-criticism-calls-for-alternatives/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesias-giant-java-seawall-plan-sparks-criticism-calls-for-alternatives/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-305716</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>New model reveals hidden dynamics of Indonesia’s booming songbird trade</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-songbird-trade-wildlife-trafficking-market-demand-supply/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-songbird-trade-wildlife-trafficking-market-demand-supply/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Sep 2025 13:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/08/29070532/1000269860-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=305118</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Wild Bird Trade]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Central Java, East Java, Indonesia, Jakarta, Java, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Crime, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Policy, Illegal Trade, Law, Law Enforcement, Pet Trade, Rainforests, Trade, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Researchers have developed the first model to map how supply and demand interact in Indonesia’s highly lucrative songbird trade, revealing patterns that could help curb poaching pressure on rare and threatened species. Market dynamics in Indonesia’s songbird trade appear to be driven more by species traits, such as mimicry, rather than species identity, according to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Researchers have developed the first model to map how supply and demand interact in Indonesia’s highly lucrative songbird trade, revealing patterns that could help curb poaching pressure on rare and threatened species. Market dynamics in Indonesia’s songbird trade appear to be driven more by species traits, such as mimicry, rather than species identity, according to a new paper published in the journal Biological Conservation. The researchers said understanding this trade aspect could uncover demand patterns that were previously overlooked, subsequently aiding in the development of strategies to reduce demand in a country whose songbird trade is one of the world’s most prolific wildlife trade sectors. “There is one big question that I get asked a lot: who are buying these birds found in the markets and for what? Why are they selling so many species?” study lead author Karlina Indraswari, who conducted the research during her Ph.D. studies at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, told Mongabay by email. “Then it continued to the question, why are there so many species recorded in the supply side, yet very little info from the demand side? &#8230; Therefore, can we, at least, get a rough idea of why certain species are traded. So, with that, I shared the idea to the team who were keen to assist me with this paper,” she added. Demand for wild-caught birds remains high, fueling a market that poses serious risks to Indonesia’s threatened species. Image courtesy of Ganjar Cahyadi. The bird trade thrives in Indonesia,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-songbird-trade-wildlife-trafficking-market-demand-supply/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-songbird-trade-wildlife-trafficking-market-demand-supply/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-305118</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia’s fish farm expansion to absorb D.C.-sized swath of protected forests</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/indonesias-fish-farm-expansion-to-absorb-d-c-sized-swath-of-protected-forests/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/indonesias-fish-farm-expansion-to-absorb-d-c-sized-swath-of-protected-forests/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Aug 2025 15:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[M Ambari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/08/01083904/upscalemedia-transformed-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=305047</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia, Java, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Aquaculture, Coastal Ecosystems, Fisheries, Governance, and Mangroves]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[WEST JAVA, Indonesia – A billion-dollar push to expand fish farming on the island of Java to support Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s free school meals program will absorb protected forests nearly the size of Washington, D.C., according to the country’s largest environmental group. “This area would become one of the largest releases of protected forests [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[WEST JAVA, Indonesia – A billion-dollar push to expand fish farming on the island of Java to support Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s free school meals program will absorb protected forests nearly the size of Washington, D.C., according to the country’s largest environmental group. “This area would become one of the largest releases of protected forests in West Java in history,” said Wahyudi, the West Java provincial director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi). Launched in January, Prabowo’s nutrition program is a national drive to reach 83 million people by the end of the president’s five-year term in 2029. In February, the government categorized the planned 78,000-hectares (193,000-acre) aquaculture belt across Java’s northern coast as a national priority project. This initial building site will span 20,400 hectares (50,400 acres) across four districts on the West Java coast. That designation will enable the project managers to speed through some environmental safeguards to expedite the first stage of the $1.6 billion project to completion by its 2027 deadline. In June, Mongabay Indonesia spoke with a security guard outside a pond in Sedari village, Karawang district, who said he was unaware of plans to bring the local fish farms under the national priority project framework. “What will happen to me then?” he said. Remaining mangrove ecosystems along the coast of West Java province. Photo: Irfan Maulana/Mongabay Indonesia Indonesia’s fisheries ministry projections for the development include the creation of more than 100,000 new jobs. However, Walhi and other environmental civil society organizations say&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/indonesias-fish-farm-expansion-to-absorb-d-c-sized-swath-of-protected-forests/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/indonesias-fish-farm-expansion-to-absorb-d-c-sized-swath-of-protected-forests/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-305047</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia’s aquafarm revamp sparks fears for fate of farmers and mangroves</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/indonesia-aquaculture-fish-farm-mangroves-shrimp-fisheries-sustainable-coastal-marine/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/indonesia-aquaculture-fish-farm-mangroves-shrimp-fisheries-sustainable-coastal-marine/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Aug 2025 06:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten GokkonM Ambari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/08/20095146/3d3c2cab-4c91-4a9c-833c-3bb672208711-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=304502</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Aquaculture, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Marine, Marine Conservation, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KARAWANG/JAKARTA, Indonesia — At 55, Warno has spent the past quarter of a century making a living from a fish farm that he manages in Karawang district, in the Indonesian province of West Java. Here, in ponds spanning a combined 2 hectares (5 acres), he raises milkfish and shrimp, and grows seaweed. “Every year, I [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KARAWANG/JAKARTA, Indonesia — At 55, Warno has spent the past quarter of a century making a living from a fish farm that he manages in Karawang district, in the Indonesian province of West Java. Here, in ponds spanning a combined 2 hectares (5 acres), he raises milkfish and shrimp, and grows seaweed. “Every year, I have to spend a considerable amount of money to start over after the harvest,” he tells Mongabay Indonesia. “There also has to be regular maintenance to keep the pond water in good condition.” Crucially, Warno doesn’t own the land his fish farm sits on; he rents it from PT Perhutani, a government-owned company. That makes him one of many small-scale fish farmers along the northern Java coast who say they fear losing the land under a new government plan to revitalize what it calls “idle” state-owned aquafarms covering 78,000 hectares (about 193,000 acres) across the region. Fish farms like this one in Karawang district are managed by both small-scale farmers and businesses. The latter typically control dozens of hectares, while small farmers usually manage less than 5 hectares (12 acres) each. Image by M. Ambari/Mongabay Indonesia. Indonesia’s fisheries minister, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, has described the program as a key strategy to support the government’s national food security agenda. The first phase covers some 20,400 hectares (50,400 acres) of ponds along most of West Java’s northern coast. Most of these are what the ministry terms “unproductive”: managed using traditional methods, lacking water reservoirs and wastewater treatment&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/indonesia-aquaculture-fish-farm-mangroves-shrimp-fisheries-sustainable-coastal-marine/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-304502</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia convicts trafficking accomplice in a Javan rhino poaching scandal</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/indonesia-convicts-trafficking-accomplice-in-a-javan-rhino-poaching-scandal/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/indonesia-convicts-trafficking-accomplice-in-a-javan-rhino-poaching-scandal/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 May 2025 05:25:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Donny Iqbal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/05/31180931/javan-rhino-courtesy-of-KLHK-768x512-1.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=299700</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Asian Rhinos]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Forestry, Forests, Governance, Green, In-situ Conservation, Javan Rhinos, Mammals, Megafauna, Mongabay investigation, Poaching, Protected Areas, Rainforests, Rhinos, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Tropical Forests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia’s highest court has overturned the acquittal of an accused translator who facilitated transactions in the international trade of poached rhino horns. The Supreme Court in Indonesia recently sentenced 72-year-old Liem Hoo Kwan Willy to one year in prison for helping communications between an Indonesian trader and a Chinese buyer in the trafficking of Javan [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia’s highest court has overturned the acquittal of an accused translator who facilitated transactions in the international trade of poached rhino horns. The Supreme Court in Indonesia recently sentenced 72-year-old Liem Hoo Kwan Willy to one year in prison for helping communications between an Indonesian trader and a Chinese buyer in the trafficking of Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) horns. The ruling is part of a year-long crackdown by Indonesian conservation authorities on international wildlife trade that stemmed from the discovery in 2024 of organized poaching of Javan rhinos in their only habitat, Ujung Kulon National Park, Banten province. The conservation director-general Satyawan Pudyatmoko praised the decision and the prosecutor’s efforts, saying it reinforces Indonesia’s commitment to protecting the Javan rhino by holding all parties in the illegal wildlife trade accountable. Liem Hoo Kwan Willy has been found guilty in an illegal Javan rhino trade. Image by Donny Iqbal/Mongabay-Indonesia. Willy was previously cleared of all charges by Banten’s Pandeglang District Court despite evidence such as phone records and texts linking him to the transactions and renting the Chinese buyer a room in his house. The lead judge on the three-member panel overruled his colleagues, arguing that Willy didn’t profit from facilitating the transactions of the rhino horns. Meanwhile, the same district court in July 2024 convicted and sentenced Yogi Purwadi, the Indonesian trader whom Willy helped with translations, to four and a half years in prison. The court a month earlier had also convicted and sentenced to a record 12 years&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/indonesia-convicts-trafficking-accomplice-in-a-javan-rhino-poaching-scandal/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/indonesia-convicts-trafficking-accomplice-in-a-javan-rhino-poaching-scandal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-299700</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Silvery lining for Java’s endangered gibbon as Rahayu Oktaviani wins Whitley prize</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/silvery-lining-for-javas-endangered-gibbon-as-rahayu-oktaviani-wins-whitley-prize/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/silvery-lining-for-javas-endangered-gibbon-as-rahayu-oktaviani-wins-whitley-prize/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 May 2025 03:11:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nuswantoro]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/05/26051403/Owa_Jawa_Hylobates_moloch-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=299626</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Apes, Biodiversity, Conservation, Conservation leadership, Deforestation, Endangered Species, Environment, Forestry, Forests, Gibbons, Habitat Loss, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Hunting, Mammals, Primates, Rainforests, Tropical Forests, Wildlife, and Women In Science]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Rahayu Oktaviani revered the work of Canadian primatologist Biruté Galdikas while a student in the mid-2000s, aspiring to join her hero in protecting the Bornean orangutan, which would be classified several years later as a critically endangered species. In the end, a lack of research funding kept the Borneo forest canopy out [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Rahayu Oktaviani revered the work of Canadian primatologist Biruté Galdikas while a student in the mid-2000s, aspiring to join her hero in protecting the Bornean orangutan, which would be classified several years later as a critically endangered species. In the end, a lack of research funding kept the Borneo forest canopy out of reach for Ayu, as she’s better known, upon graduation. “So, I turned to the Javan gibbon,” Ayu told Mongabay Indonesia. An hour west of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), her alma mater and Indonesia’s top forestry university, Ayu was instead drawn by the distinctive call of the silvery gibbon from Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park, named after the twin active volcanoes at its heart. “I heard that voice every time I went into the forest,” Ayu said. Last month, Ayu won the prestigious Whitley Award, which recognizes achievements in grassroots conservation, to advance her work on protection of Java’s silvery gibbon. Ayu follows past winners like Amanda Vincent, today a world expert on seahorses, who won the inaugural Whitley Award in 1994 to study seahorses in the Philippines. “Drawing on a decade of research into gibbon behaviour and habitat needs, Ayu and her team at Kiara (Konservasi Ekosistem Alam Nusantara) will work with community members, park rangers and managers to build capacity, monitor biodiversity and guide conservation strategies toward a shared vision,” the U.K.-based Whitley Fund for Nature wrote in a release. Rahayu Oktaviani has dedicated 17 years of her life to saving the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/silvery-lining-for-javas-endangered-gibbon-as-rahayu-oktaviani-wins-whitley-prize/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/silvery-lining-for-javas-endangered-gibbon-as-rahayu-oktaviani-wins-whitley-prize/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-299626</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>As Indonesia phases out coal, what happens to people &#038; environments left behind?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/as-indonesia-phases-out-coal-what-happens-to-people-environments-left-behind/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/as-indonesia-phases-out-coal-what-happens-to-people-environments-left-behind/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 May 2025 15:54:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/02/19095441/GP0STTB7D_Medium-res-with-credit-line-1200px-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=299299</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Climate Change, Coal, Energy, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Human Rights, Just Transition, Politics, Pollution, Rehabilitation, Renewable Energy, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — As Indonesia, one of the world’s biggest polluters, plans to retire its fleet of coal-fired power plants to tackle climate change, one critical question is being overlooked: What happens to the communities and environments they leave behind? An analysis by the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) found that environmental legacy impacts, such [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — As Indonesia, one of the world’s biggest polluters, plans to retire its fleet of coal-fired power plants to tackle climate change, one critical question is being overlooked: What happens to the communities and environments they leave behind? An analysis by the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) found that environmental legacy impacts, such as pollution, degraded ecosystems and lost livelihoods, are not integrated into current transition plans. Indonesia’s current regulatory framework, particularly the 2009 electricity law, does not mandate post-operation planning for coal-fired power plants. This is a stark contrast to the mining law, which obliges post-operation rehabilitation. As a result, environmental impact assessments, known as AMDALs in Indonesia, for coal plants routinely exclude post-closure recovery plans, leaving behind long-term environmental degradation and unaddressed social costs once plants are shut down. ICEL reviewed the AMDALs of six coal plants on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali and found that most lacked any mention of post-operation planning or environmental recovery measures. “What we found is that post-operation impacts assessed mostly relate to demolition dust or noise from increased truck traffic,” ICEL program deputy director Grita Anindarini said during a recent event in Jakarta. This limited focus suggests AMDALs are treating closures as construction projects, rather than as opportunities for environmental recovery and justice. This is despite a well-documented history of coal plants damaging ecosystems and disrupting livelihoods across the archipelago. In Bali, the Celukan Bawang coal-fired plant has been blamed for damaging coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, which&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/as-indonesia-phases-out-coal-what-happens-to-people-environments-left-behind/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/as-indonesia-phases-out-coal-what-happens-to-people-environments-left-behind/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-299299</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>An ‘ocean grab’ for a property megaproject leaves Jakarta fishers grounded</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/an-ocean-grab-for-a-property-megaproject-leaves-jakarta-fishers-grounded/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/an-ocean-grab-for-a-property-megaproject-leaves-jakarta-fishers-grounded/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Nov 2024 05:43:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Irfan Maulana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/07083529/Jakarta-fishers-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=289788</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Southeast Asian infrastructure]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Development, Environment, Environmental Law, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Industry, Infrastructure, Land Conflict, Land Grabbing, Land Rights, Oceans, public lands, and Social Justice]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[TANGERANG, Indonesia — Joy sat by the seashore on the outskirts of Jakarta patching up his fishing nets, repairing each tear with practiced stitches while a clutch of women shelled green mussels as the afternoon wore on. “Later on, at 4, we’ll head out to sea,” said Joy, who usually earns up to 500,000 rupiah [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[TANGERANG, Indonesia — Joy sat by the seashore on the outskirts of Jakarta patching up his fishing nets, repairing each tear with practiced stitches while a clutch of women shelled green mussels as the afternoon wore on. “Later on, at 4, we’ll head out to sea,” said Joy, who usually earns up to 500,000 rupiah ($32) from a single catch. However, like many here on the shoreline of Indonesia’s capital city, Joy worries that a dearth of fish, and the changes unfolding near his home, suggest this livelihood exists on borrowed time. As each year passes, fishers throughout the northern coast of Indonesia’s main central island of Java must venture farther out to sea for a viable catch to sustain their families. Fishing communities around the world face an incoming tide of ocean acidification and sea temperature rises, which threaten fish stocks, a crucial source of protein and income in these villages. Yet the fishing community here in Ketapang, a village in the Tangerang district that makes up part of the Greater Jakarta area, also has to contend with a crude bamboo fence hindering access to the Java Sea. When the bamboo barrier first appeared, obstructing fishers from leaving the harbor, a flotilla of fishing boats coalesced in its removal. Local fishers said people working on behalf of a developer replaced the barricade soon enough, this time brandishing a letter of authorization from the village government. “You can’t see it at night and the boat can hit it,” Joy explained.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/an-ocean-grab-for-a-property-megaproject-leaves-jakarta-fishers-grounded/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/an-ocean-grab-for-a-property-megaproject-leaves-jakarta-fishers-grounded/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-289788</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>More alarms over Indonesia rhino poaching after latest trafficking bust</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/sumatran-javan-rhino-horn-trafficking-indonesia-wildlife-poaching-endangered/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/sumatran-javan-rhino-horn-trafficking-indonesia-wildlife-poaching-endangered/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Sep 2024 13:32:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Donny IqbalNopri Ismi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/11/24013125/Harapan-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=286901</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Asian Rhinos]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, South Sumatra, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Forestry, Forests, Governance, Green, In-situ Conservation, Javan Rhinos, Mammals, Megafauna, Mongabay investigation, Poaching, Politics, Protected Areas, Rainforests, Rhinos, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Sumatran Rhino, Tropical Forests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[PALEMBANG/PANDEGLANG, Indonesia — Authorities in Indonesia are investigating possible links between a recent bust of rhino horns for sale and a killing spree of Javan rhinos still being uncovered in court. Police working with agents from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry announced on Aug. 27 the arrest of a 60-year-old man in Palembang, South [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[PALEMBANG/PANDEGLANG, Indonesia — Authorities in Indonesia are investigating possible links between a recent bust of rhino horns for sale and a killing spree of Javan rhinos still being uncovered in court. Police working with agents from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry announced on Aug. 27 the arrest of a 60-year-old man in Palembang, South Sumatra province, for allegedly attempting to sell eight rhino horns, five tobacco pipes made of elephant ivory, and three pipes made from dugong tusks. The arrest took place on Aug. 23 during a string operation as the suspect, identified only by the initials Z.A., attempted to sell the products. Authorities said they identified four of the rhino horns as belonging to Indonesian species, and the other four from abroad, but didn’t specify which ones. Indonesia is home to two critically endangered rhino species, the Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and Javan (Rhinoceros sondaicus), each with a total estimated population of less than 100. “This is a transnational crime,” Rasio Ridho Sani, the environment ministry’s director-general of law enforcement, told reporters. “We continue to strengthen the partnership with international law enforcement agencies, such as the Interpol and UNODC [United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime].” Conservation authorities and local police in Palembang, South Sumatra, announced the arrest of a 60-year-old suspect, in the orange vest, for alleged trafficking of eight rhino horns and elephant and dugong ivory. Image courtesy of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Rasio said the arrest followed a long investigation by the ministry’s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/sumatran-javan-rhino-horn-trafficking-indonesia-wildlife-poaching-endangered/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/sumatran-javan-rhino-horn-trafficking-indonesia-wildlife-poaching-endangered/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-286901</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Javan rhino poaching saga reveals serious security lapse</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/javan-rhino-poaching-horn-ujung-kulon-national-park-indonesia-wildlife-trafficking/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/javan-rhino-poaching-horn-ujung-kulon-national-park-indonesia-wildlife-trafficking/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Aug 2024 12:11:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay Indonesia]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/04/26074216/IMG-20180424-WA0007-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=285440</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Asian Rhinos]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Environment, Forestry, Forests, Governance, Green, In-situ Conservation, Javan Rhinos, Mammals, Megafauna, Mongabay investigation, Poaching, Politics, Protected Areas, Rainforests, Rhinos, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Tropical Forests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[PANDEGLANG/JAKARTA, Indonesia — A recent revelation that up to 26 Javan rhinos may have been poached, out of a total population of 70-odd, has come as a major blow to conservation efforts in Indonesia. The still-unfolding case has highlighted flaws in security management at Ujung Kulon National Park, the last place on Earth where this [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[PANDEGLANG/JAKARTA, Indonesia — A recent revelation that up to 26 Javan rhinos may have been poached, out of a total population of 70-odd, has come as a major blow to conservation efforts in Indonesia. The still-unfolding case has highlighted flaws in security management at Ujung Kulon National Park, the last place on Earth where this critically endangered species is found. In June, Mongabay Indonesia conducted a comprehensive investigation, including data analysis, ground checking and discussions with multiple sources in and around the park, to determine how two poaching gangs were able to carry out a killing spree for years in one of the most heavily patrolled and surveilled protected areas in the world. We found strong indications suggesting a key member of the patrol team may have been feeding information to the poachers. The latter, for their part, had access to funding, weapons and hunting expertise. While some progress has been made in uncovering the methods used by the poachers, many questions remain unanswered, casting the future of the Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) into doubt. Ujung Kulon National Park is located at the westernmost tip of the island of Java. A Javan rhino immerses itself in the Cigenter River in Ujung Kulon National Park. Image by Stephen Belcher courtesy of Ujung Kulon National Park. Yusup, 53, who heads a local youth organization, lives just 50 meters (160 feet) from the house of Sunendi bin Karnadi, 32, the poaching kingpin who in June was convicted and sentenced to a record 12&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/javan-rhino-poaching-horn-ujung-kulon-national-park-indonesia-wildlife-trafficking/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-285440</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Where Javan leopards thrive, so do other wildlife, study shows</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/07/where-javan-leopards-thrive-so-do-other-wildlife-study-shows/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/07/where-javan-leopards-thrive-so-do-other-wildlife-study-shows/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jul 2024 06:08:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/02/26063137/leopard.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=284770</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, East Java, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Environment, Habitat, Habitat Degradation, Habitat Loss, Leopards, Mammals, Predators, Top Predators, Tropical Forests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — A new study on Javan leopards has found that areas with higher numbers of the endangered subspecies have richer wildlife diversity than those from where the elusive big cats are absent. More Javan leopards (Panthera pardus melas) in a given habitat correspond to higher richness and abundance of other animals that coexist in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — A new study on Javan leopards has found that areas with higher numbers of the endangered subspecies have richer wildlife diversity than those from where the elusive big cats are absent. More Javan leopards (Panthera pardus melas) in a given habitat correspond to higher richness and abundance of other animals that coexist in the same location, said a group of wildlife researchers in a recently published paper. The authors said the study was the first extensive look at what animals the leopard might hunt, using camera traps across all four different types of terrestrial regions on the Indonesian island of Java. Led by Andhika C. Ariyanto from the University of Twente in the Netherlands and Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the authors studied 7,461 individual photos taken over a combined period of nearly 13,000 days by camera traps between 2020 and 2022 in four national parks. The Javan leopard is the last big predator on the Indonesian island, following the extinction last century of the Javan tiger. Image courtesy of Conservation International. They found that Meru Betiri National Park, representing the eastern Java-Bali montane rainforest habitat, had the highest species richness in areas where the Javan leopards are found. Ujung Kulon National Park and Alas Purwo National Park — western Java rainforest and eastern Java-Bali rainforest habitat, respectively — followed closely, their research showed. Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, representative of the western Java-Bali rainforest habitat, had relatively lower species diversity in areas inhabited by leopards. “This&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/07/where-javan-leopards-thrive-so-do-other-wildlife-study-shows/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/07/where-javan-leopards-thrive-so-do-other-wildlife-study-shows/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-284770</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesians mourn loss of Hariadi Kartodiharjo, beloved ‘father of governance’</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/indonesians-mourn-loss-of-hariadi-kartodiharjo-beloved-father-of-governance/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/indonesians-mourn-loss-of-hariadi-kartodiharjo-beloved-father-of-governance/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jun 2024 00:38:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christ BelseranSarjan Lahay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/11130136/Prof.-Hariadi-Kartodiharjo-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=283115</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, East Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forestry, Governance, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Law Enforcement]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BOGOR, Indonesia — Mourners filed into the residence of Professor Hariadi Kartodiharjo in Bubulak village near the city of Bogor, just south of Jakarta, on Sunday, June 2. Hariadi, affectionately known as “Prof HK,” was born in Jombang, East Java province, on April 24, 1958, and died at the age of 66. Prayers were also [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BOGOR, Indonesia — Mourners filed into the residence of Professor Hariadi Kartodiharjo in Bubulak village near the city of Bogor, just south of Jakarta, on Sunday, June 2. Hariadi, affectionately known as “Prof HK,” was born in Jombang, East Java province, on April 24, 1958, and died at the age of 66. Prayers were also held at the Al Fithrotus Syafiiyah mosque to commemorate Hariadi, a pioneer of forestry governance and prominent advocate for Indigenous rights in Indonesia. Reza Kartodiharjo, Hariadi’s eldest son, said his father passed away before dawn on the morning of June 2. He had appeared in good spirits the previous evening while sharing a meal with his wife, until his health deteriorated overnight. Hariadi advised Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the country’s anti-corruption agency, known as the KPK. He was an author of books on forestry governance and published numerous papers in academic journals. His 2021 book, Sins and the Future of Our Planet, explored themes of technology and democratic oversight of Indonesia’s forests. In 2015, Hariadi became a commissioner on a national inquiry established by the National Human Rights Commission, known as Komnas HAM, into conflicts between Indigenous peoples and the state in forest areas. The inquiry followed a ruling by the Constitutional Court in 2013 that affirmed Indigenous peoples’ rights to their own customary forests. Mourners pay their respects at Hariadi Kartodiharjo&#8217;s funeral in Bogor. Image by Christ Belseran/Mongabay Indonesia Over the course of five months, Hariadi heard testimony from dozens of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/indonesians-mourn-loss-of-hariadi-kartodiharjo-beloved-father-of-governance/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-283115</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>‘The Javan tiger still exists’: DNA find may herald an extinct species’ comeback</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/04/javan-tiger-extinct-species-indonesia-dna-wildlife-conservation/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/04/javan-tiger-extinct-species-indonesia-dna-wildlife-conservation/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Apr 2024 02:52:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christopel PainoRahmadi Rahmad]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/04/03082404/Spesimen-harimau-jawa1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=280588</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera Trapping, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Habitat Loss, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Mammals, Poaching, Tigers, Top Predators, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Ripi Yanuar Fajar and his four friends say they’ll never forget that evening after Indonesia’s Independence Day celebration in 2019 when they encountered a big cat roaming a community plantation in Sukabumi, West Java province. Immediately after the brief encounter, Ripi, who happens to be a local conservationist, reached out to Kalih Raksasewu, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Ripi Yanuar Fajar and his four friends say they’ll never forget that evening after Indonesia’s Independence Day celebration in 2019 when they encountered a big cat roaming a community plantation in Sukabumi, West Java province. Immediately after the brief encounter, Ripi, who happens to be a local conservationist, reached out to Kalih Raksasewu, a researcher at the country’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), saying he and his friends had seen either a Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas), a critically endangered animal, or a Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica), a subspecies believed to have gone extinct in the 1980s but only officially declared so in 2008. About 10 days later, Kalih visited the site of the encounter with Ripi and his friends. There, Kalih found a strand of hair snagged on a plantation fence that the unknown creature was believed to have jumped over. He also recorded footprints and claw marks that he thought resembled those of a tiger. This photograph of a live Javan tiger was taken in 1938 in Ujung Kulon, at the western tip of Java Island, and published in Andries Hoogerwerf&#8217;s “Ujung Kulon: The Land of the last Javan Rhinoceros.” Image by Andries Hoogerwerf via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). The single strand of hair from the suspected Javan tiger collected from a community plantation in Sukabumi, West Java. Image courtesy of the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency. Kalih then sent the hair sample and other records to the West Java provincial conservation agency,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/04/javan-tiger-extinct-species-indonesia-dna-wildlife-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/04/javan-tiger-extinct-species-indonesia-dna-wildlife-conservation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-280588</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Biomass-burning coal plants leave the air even dirtier, Java communities say</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/biomass-burning-coal-plants-leave-the-air-even-dirtier-java-communities-say/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/biomass-burning-coal-plants-leave-the-air-even-dirtier-java-communities-say/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Mar 2024 18:59:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rabul Sawal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/03/25144012/coal-plant-west-java-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=280233</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Air Pollution, Bioenergy, Coal, Crops, Environment, Environmental Law, Fossil Fuels, Governance, Health, Pollution, and Rice]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[INDRAMAYU, Indonesia — A veil of smog lurks over Surono and Umroh’s home as relatives and neighbors file inside to greet the couple. Umroh welcomes the new arrivals over lunch as family members and friends congratulate the beaming pair on the birth of their second child. Outside in Tegal Taman village, here on the northern [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[INDRAMAYU, Indonesia — A veil of smog lurks over Surono and Umroh’s home as relatives and neighbors file inside to greet the couple. Umroh welcomes the new arrivals over lunch as family members and friends congratulate the beaming pair on the birth of their second child. Outside in Tegal Taman village, here on the northern coast of Java Island’s Indramayu district, a thin coat of soot has settled on the roof of the family home. “Having dust like this is just normal, it’s been there for a long time ever since the PLTU started up,” Surono told Mongabay Indonesia. PLTU 1 Indramayu is a coal power complex that began operating in 2011. Run by PJB, a subsidiary of state-owned electricity utility PLN, the plant’s three units supply 990 megawatts to the Java-Bali grid owned by PLN. The plant’s smokestack is a local landmark, surrounded by rice fields, less than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) east of Surono and Umroh’s home. In the more than a decade since the power plant began operating, farmers have complained of declining rice yields, fishers say their catch has dwindled, and parents believe their children are increasingly falling prey to respiratory infections. Dust-up Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of coal, and the national grid relies on domestic supplies to generate two-thirds of the archipelago’s electricity. However, President Joko Widodo has committed in a submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to cutting Indonesia’s planet-warming emissions from a base scenario by 31.9% before&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/biomass-burning-coal-plants-leave-the-air-even-dirtier-java-communities-say/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/03/biomass-burning-coal-plants-leave-the-air-even-dirtier-java-communities-say/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-280233</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Java’s frogman reflects on half-century dive into amphibian world</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/javas-frogman-reflects-on-half-century-dive-into-amphibian-world/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/javas-frogman-reflects-on-half-century-dive-into-amphibian-world/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Feb 2024 03:07:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Donny Iqbal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/02/06153317/Fejervarya-iskandari-3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=278625</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Frogs, Global Environmental Crisis, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Herps, New Discovery, Research, Species Discovery, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BANDUNG, Indonesia — Nearly 50 years have passed since Djoko Tjahjono Iskandar began his early scientific expeditions to uncover new species hidden across Indonesia. In that time, Djoko has described several of the 400 species of frogs so far cataloged in the world’s largest archipelagic country. “Ever since I began my research in 1975, I [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BANDUNG, Indonesia — Nearly 50 years have passed since Djoko Tjahjono Iskandar began his early scientific expeditions to uncover new species hidden across Indonesia. In that time, Djoko has described several of the 400 species of frogs so far cataloged in the world’s largest archipelagic country. “Ever since I began my research in 1975, I have always been drawn to the conclusion that the universe was created as unique,” Djoko told Mongabay Indonesia at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the university where he started teaching 45 years ago. Over the course of his career, Djoko has waded through marshes in Sumatra, hiked forests in Java, ascended peaks in Sulawesi, tracked rivers in Borneo, and led expeditions through Papua — covering a remarkable amount of ground across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. “I usually start by tracing a river,” he said. Djoko counts several species descriptions made during his five-decade career for which he was named, from lizards such as Gekko iskandari in 2000 and Draco iskandari in 2007, to frogs like Fejervarya iskandari in 2001. Born in Bandung on the island of Java, Djoko published Amphibians of Java and Bali in 1998, widely seen as the successor to The Amphibia of the Indo-Australian Archipelago, published in 1923 by Dutch zoologist Pieter van Kampen. Djoko’s book featured 35 newly described frog species. To date, he has 163 publications and more than 20 books to his name. In Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, Djoko located Barbourula kalimantanensis, a frog without lungs that breathes through its&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/javas-frogman-reflects-on-half-century-dive-into-amphibian-world/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/javas-frogman-reflects-on-half-century-dive-into-amphibian-world/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-278625</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Communities on troubled Java river mold future from plastic waste</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/communities-on-troubled-java-river-mold-future-from-plastic-waste/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/communities-on-troubled-java-river-mold-future-from-plastic-waste/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Feb 2024 03:55:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Donny Iqbal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/01/31172312/Sampah-Bogor-3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=278325</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Circular economy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities, Community-based Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Freshwater, Plastic, Pollution, Recycling, Rivers, Waste, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BOGOR, Indonesia — At the age of 60, Siti Salamah started making changes at her family home in the city of Bogor, just south of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital. “We always put the kitchen waste there,” Siti told Mongabay Indonesia at her home. “I collect the plastic waste separately.” Siti installed a unit for composting perishable [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BOGOR, Indonesia — At the age of 60, Siti Salamah started making changes at her family home in the city of Bogor, just south of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital. “We always put the kitchen waste there,” Siti told Mongabay Indonesia at her home. “I collect the plastic waste separately.” Siti installed a unit for composting perishable waste around four months ago. Previously she would put all the household waste together for the trash collectors to pick up, typically amounting to 2-5 kilograms (4.5-11 pounds) of garbage per week. This seemingly modest amount of waste adds up at the population level. Data from the municipal environmental department showed that Bogor, a city of more than a million people, produced 2,742 cubic meters (96,833 cubic feet) of waste daily, which is enough garbage to fill more than an Olympic-size swimming pool every day. Much of it ends up in the rivers that run through Bogor. Managing this waste costs Bogor up to 24.1 billion rupiah ($1.5 million) per year in direct expenditure, although other indirect costs to society owing to household and commercial waste are challenging to quantify. Since 2021, Bogor has joined more than 50 cities around the world in the Plastic Smart Cities partnership, which hopes to tackle the mountains of plastic waste that clog rivers and fester on vacant patches of land. The Plastic Smart Cities program was initiated by WWF to reduce plastic waste by 30% before 2025. It’s one of three pillars of WWF’s No Plastic in Nature&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/communities-on-troubled-java-river-mold-future-from-plastic-waste/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/communities-on-troubled-java-river-mold-future-from-plastic-waste/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-278325</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Finance and support are key to fishers adopting eco-friendly gear, study shows</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/indonesia-fishers-eco-friendly-gear-equipment-sustainability-catch-crab/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/indonesia-fishers-eco-friendly-gear-equipment-sustainability-catch-crab/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jan 2024 07:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/12/27072928/WhatsApp-Image-2023-12-21-at-15.21.23-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=277094</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Central Java, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fisheries, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Regulations, Research, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Small-scale fishers who have better access to financing, the support of a peer group, and a general awareness of environmental problems tend to be more likely to adopt eco-friendly fishing gear, a new study from Indonesia has found. In turn, these same fishers largely enjoy better catches, improving both their welfare and the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Small-scale fishers who have better access to financing, the support of a peer group, and a general awareness of environmental problems tend to be more likely to adopt eco-friendly fishing gear, a new study from Indonesia has found. In turn, these same fishers largely enjoy better catches, improving both their welfare and the sustainability of the stocks they target, according to the findings by researchers from the Indonesian fisheries ministry and the national research agency. “The results of our work are very relevant to the current management of sustainable fisheries in Indonesia,” corresponding author Carunia Mulya Firdausy, from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Tarumanagara University in Jakarta, told Mongabay in an email. The study looked at 647 fishers who target blue swimming crabs off the north coast of the island of Java, the heart of Indonesia’s fishing industry. They found that fishers who opted to switch to less-destructive gear tended to be those who were involved in fisheries groups or cooperatives, had access to loans or a higher degree of financial capability, and were more aware of uncertainties in the climate, weather, and currents. Government-affiliated researchers studied the blue swimming crab fishery off the north coast of Java from April to June 2022. Image courtesy of Eka Nurjati/National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The study found that being a part of a fishing group encouraged individual fishers to use recommended equipment that’s less damaging to the environment. Having better access to credit from banks is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/indonesia-fishers-eco-friendly-gear-equipment-sustainability-catch-crab/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/indonesia-fishers-eco-friendly-gear-equipment-sustainability-catch-crab/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-277094</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Iconic Indonesian raptor still threatened by habitat degradation, isolation</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/javan-hawk-eagle-indonesian-raptor-bird-prey-endangered-species-population/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/javan-hawk-eagle-indonesian-raptor-bird-prey-endangered-species-population/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Dec 2023 08:17:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/12/11051029/Photo3-Juvenile-Jhe-nest-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=276526</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Bali, Central Java, East Java, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Forests, Hunting, Illegal Trade, Rainforests, Raptors, Trade, Tropical Forests, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Most of the habitat of the Javan hawk-eagle is protected, but threats of forest degradation and isolation loom over the surviving population of Indonesia’s national bird, a new study shows. The latest population estimate for the Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) is 511 breeding pairs, an increase from 325 pairs in 2009, according to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Most of the habitat of the Javan hawk-eagle is protected, but threats of forest degradation and isolation loom over the surviving population of Indonesia’s national bird, a new study shows. The latest population estimate for the Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) is 511 breeding pairs, an increase from 325 pairs in 2009, according to the research. It added that 70% of the species’ habitat lies within protected areas across the islands of Java and Bali, while the remainder is in farmland. “Improved habitat distribution data are needed to better estimate the current population size and to facilitate development of new strategies and action plans,” says the study published Nov. 21 in the Journal of Raptor Research. A juvenile Javan hawk-eagle in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Image courtesy of Heru Cahyono. Researchers observe a Javan hawk-eagle nest in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Image courtesy of Rofifah Aulia Suyitno. The researchers conducted field surveys between 2008 and 2019 by observing the nests of eagle couples and revisiting them during the breeding season, and also collected information through interviews with local communities, key informants from local nongovernmental organizations, government officials, and site managers. To analyze the data, they included improved study methods, such as higher-resolution satellite imagery, which helped in identifying the important habitats. The scientists credited these improved methods with helping them come up with a population estimate that was higher than previously calculated. They also found that while the species prefers big forest areas for breeding, they can&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/javan-hawk-eagle-indonesian-raptor-bird-prey-endangered-species-population/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/javan-hawk-eagle-indonesian-raptor-bird-prey-endangered-species-population/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-276526</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Java farmers displaced by dam remain treading water after decades</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/java-farmers-displaced-by-dam-remain-treading-water-after-decades/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/java-farmers-displaced-by-dam-remain-treading-water-after-decades/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Nov 2023 02:02:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Donny Iqbal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/11/07165315/Maman-Ajo-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=275114</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Dams, Energy, Environment, Flooding, Governance, Hydroelectric Power, Land Rights, Politics, Rivers, Social Justice, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[SUMEDANG, Indonesia — Udit Surdiat only became a boat driver after he lost the rights to his farmland. The 63-year-old used to farm a hectare of land in Sumedang district, in Indonesia’s West Java province, until the family had to make way for the country’s second-largest dam. “My father was asked to sign in 1984,” [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[SUMEDANG, Indonesia — Udit Surdiat only became a boat driver after he lost the rights to his farmland. The 63-year-old used to farm a hectare of land in Sumedang district, in Indonesia’s West Java province, until the family had to make way for the country’s second-largest dam. “My father was asked to sign in 1984,” Udit told Mongabay Indonesia near the banks of the reservoir around Jatigede Dam. Udit was one of more than 10,000 people who have been required to relocate because of the strategic infrastructure project, which was first planned more than 60 years ago. Today, he makes the equivalent of a few dollars a day ferrying anglers and commuter passengers around the reservoir. More than two decades ago, the World Commission on Dams, a multistakeholder body convened under the late South African president Nelson Mandela, estimated between 40 million and 80 million people globally were displaced from their homes by dam construction projects. West Java’s Jatigede Dam has proved a particularly drawn-out affair, with chaotic resettlement of the local community arranged over decades. For Udit and thousands of others, the project has uprooted families from their homes, for minimal compensation. The Jatigede Reservoir in Sumedang, West Java, has capacity of 979.5 million cubic meters and is intended for irrigation and hydropower. Donny Iqbal/Mongabay Indonesia. Water displacement Jatigede is a versatile rock-fill dam located on the Cimanuk River, whose reservoir has a total capacity of 980 million cubic meters (259 billion gallons) and covers an area of more&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/java-farmers-displaced-by-dam-remain-treading-water-after-decades/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/java-farmers-displaced-by-dam-remain-treading-water-after-decades/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-275114</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>In Indonesia, &#8216;opportunistic&#8217; whale shark fishery shows gap in species protection</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/indonesia-whale-shark-fishing-protected-species-endangered/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/indonesia-whale-shark-fishing-protected-species-endangered/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Sep 2023 04:19:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/09/30040339/Paus-Terdampar-Dimakan-Cianjur1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=273190</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Crime, Elasmobranchs, Endangered Species, Environment, Fisheries, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Whale Sharks, Wildlife, Wildlife Rescues, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — In early September, a whale shark washed up on a beach in the Indonesian province of West Java. Within hours, locals had chopped up the 7-meter (23-foot) fish for its meat and bones, considered a rare delicacy in Indonesia. Yet eating a whale shark, even one found dead as in this case, has [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — In early September, a whale shark washed up on a beach in the Indonesian province of West Java. Within hours, locals had chopped up the 7-meter (23-foot) fish for its meat and bones, considered a rare delicacy in Indonesia. Yet eating a whale shark, even one found dead as in this case, has been illegal in the country since 2013, when Indonesia banned the capture, trade and exploitation of the species, Rhincodon typus. But records from 2002 to 2022 show that whale sharks continued to be butchered and sold along the southeastern coast of the island of Java, either after stranding or being caught unintentionally by fishers, according to a study published Aug. 17 in the journal Animals. “As far as I know there is indeed no targeted fishing, in the sense that I have no evidence that at any given day a crew goes out specifically to find and catch a whale shark,” study author Vincent Nijman, a professor of anthropology at Oxford Brookes University, U.K., told Mongabay in an email interview. “I do not think this would be economically viable anyway.” Whale sharks landed at Pangandaran Bay. Images courtesy of Vincent Nijman. For his study, Nijman collected 58 reports of whale shark landings that he both observed in person and found on the news, along Pangandaran Bay, which stretches 40 kilometers (25 miles) along the Indian Ocean coast. The region is an important habitat for a population of whale sharks. While some of the beached whale&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/indonesia-whale-shark-fishing-protected-species-endangered/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/indonesia-whale-shark-fishing-protected-species-endangered/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-273190</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Plastic ‘Frankenrocks’ pose new pollution threat to coastal environment</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/08/plastics-waste-marine-ocean-beaches-pollution-plastiglomerate-pyroplastic-plasticrust/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/08/plastics-waste-marine-ocean-beaches-pollution-plastiglomerate-pyroplastic-plasticrust/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Aug 2023 02:59:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/08/01091235/186-plastiglomerat-probe-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=271668</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fish, Fisheries, Global Environmental Crisis, Marine, Marine Conservation, Microplastics, Oceans, Plastic, Politics, Pollution, Sustainability, Waste, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Uncontrolled burning of plastic waste on Indonesian beaches has given rise to plastic-rock hybrids that deposit in and may pollute coastal ecosystems and fisheries, a new study has found. Molten plastic mixed with natural and artificial debris, known as plastiglomerate, and other new forms of plastic pollution were found on an island beach [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Uncontrolled burning of plastic waste on Indonesian beaches has given rise to plastic-rock hybrids that deposit in and may pollute coastal ecosystems and fisheries, a new study has found. Molten plastic mixed with natural and artificial debris, known as plastiglomerate, and other new forms of plastic pollution were found on an island beach in Indonesia’s Java Sea, a group of Indonesian and German researchers reported in their recently published paper in the journal Scientific Reports. Lead author Dwi Amanda Utami, a geologist at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency, said these new types of plastic pollution could contribute to the chemical contamination of nearby coastal habitats such as coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangroves. “We know that Indonesia is famous for being the second-largest plastic waste contributor in the world, especially for plastic debris that leaks into the ocean from land-based sources,” Dwi told Mongabay in a phone interview. The research team collected samples from Panjang Island on the western edge of Indonesia’s Java Island. Image courtesy of Utami et al. (2023). Collected sample of plastiglomerate. Image courtesy of Dwi Amanda Utami. Meanwhile, burning garbage on the beach is a common practice in the country, done for reasons ranging from keeping warm to serving as a quick solution to eradicating fishing and tourism waste where incineration facilities are unavailable, Dwi said. After the plastic debris melts, it reconsolidates with natural components on the beach, such as coral fragments, sand or dry leaves, to create “Frankenrock” hybrids: plastiglomerates, which&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/08/plastics-waste-marine-ocean-beaches-pollution-plastiglomerate-pyroplastic-plasticrust/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/08/plastics-waste-marine-ocean-beaches-pollution-plastiglomerate-pyroplastic-plasticrust/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-271668</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesian project shows how climate funding can — and should — go directly to IPLCs</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/indonesian-project-shows-how-climate-funding-can-and-should-go-directly-to-iplcs/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/indonesian-project-shows-how-climate-funding-can-and-should-go-directly-to-iplcs/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 May 2023 14:05:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/05/23135636/20230505_124845-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=268905</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate, Climate Change, Conservation, Deforestation, Environment, Forests, Funding, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Reform, Land Rights, Rainforests, Sustainability, Sustainable Forest Management, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Suryani grew up in a family of farmers on the island of Java in Indonesia. Her parents are members of a farmer’s union called SPP. The land they live and farm on isn’t titled, so Suryani knows very well the importance of having farmers’ land rights recognized and protected. Yet she’s also seen [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Suryani grew up in a family of farmers on the island of Java in Indonesia. Her parents are members of a farmer’s union called SPP. The land they live and farm on isn’t titled, so Suryani knows very well the importance of having farmers’ land rights recognized and protected. Yet she’s also seen how other women farmers like her tend to be reluctant to share their opinions during meetings of the farmer union. “We always sat in the back, in the dark corner,” Suryani says. So when she heard from her mentor in the union that there would be a four-day training workshop for women farmers in their region, she was excited to join. It would cover gender equality, emphasizing how women farmers have the same rights to voice their opinions as their male counterparts and to fight for their rights as well. The workshop took place in December 2022 in the district of Ciamis, a four-hour drive from Suryani’s home village in Garut district. She rode in the back of a rental pickup truck, and it rained heavily that day. Suryani was soaked by the time she arrived at the workshop, but that didn’t dampen her spirits: she was there, she reminded herself, to continue her parents’ fight to get the family’s land rights recognized by the government. “I wanted to learn and get more knowledge and experience,” she says. “If I don’t learn from now on how to organize and strengthen [the movement], then my parents’&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/indonesian-project-shows-how-climate-funding-can-and-should-go-directly-to-iplcs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/indonesian-project-shows-how-climate-funding-can-and-should-go-directly-to-iplcs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-268905</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Java communities rally as clock ticks on cleanup of ‘world’s dirtiest river’</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/java-communities-rally-as-clock-ticks-on-cleanup-of-worlds-dirtiest-river/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/java-communities-rally-as-clock-ticks-on-cleanup-of-worlds-dirtiest-river/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Aug 2022 01:18:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Donny Iqbal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/08/30144136/Java-communities-rally-as-clock-ticks-on-cleanup-of-%E2%80%98worlds-dirtiest-river-22-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=259741</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Southeast Asian infrastructure]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Chemicals, Community Development, Community-based Conservation, Drinking Water, Ecosystems, Environment, Farming, Fish, Fishing, Flooding, Forestry, Forests, Global Environmental Crisis, Governance, Land Use Change, Mongabay Data Studio, Natural Resources, Nutrient Pollution, Poisoning, Politics, Pollution, Rainforests, Reforestation, Restoration, Rivers, Tropical Forests, Waste, Water, Water Pollution, and Water Scarcity]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BANDUNG, Indonesia — In a valley downstream from the source of the Citarum River, retired army general Doni Monardo approaches a magnolia tree planted in 2018 by President Joko Widodo to mark the start of one of the world’s most ambitious river cleanup operations. “The tree planted by the president is growing nicely,” Doni said, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BANDUNG, Indonesia — In a valley downstream from the source of the Citarum River, retired army general Doni Monardo approaches a magnolia tree planted in 2018 by President Joko Widodo to mark the start of one of the world’s most ambitious river cleanup operations. “The tree planted by the president is growing nicely,” Doni said, as heavy fog lurked over the high ground. A community nursery here in Kertasari subdistrict has been hard at work planting 47 different species of tree seedlings to help resuscitate a landscape that has fallen into grave condition. The source of the Citarum River is found beneath the foothills of Mount Wayang in Indonesia’s West Java province. Around 11,000 families grow vegetables in these uplands for a few dollars a day, with much of the produce trucked down the valley to feed around 7 million people living in and around Bandung, the province’s largest city. Further downstream, three hydroelectric dams, some fishing grounds and countless irrigation sources help provide basic needs for the 50 million residents of Indonesia’s most populous province. But the Citarum River, which at almost 300 kilometers (190 miles) from source to mouth is West Java’s longest river, is considered one of the world’s most polluted water courses. Vast structures of plastic waste and toxic chemicals have for decades choked what used to be a safe source of drinking water. The Citarum flows through a densely populated area in Bandung. The city of 2.7 million people is the biggest culprit in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/java-communities-rally-as-clock-ticks-on-cleanup-of-worlds-dirtiest-river/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/java-communities-rally-as-clock-ticks-on-cleanup-of-worlds-dirtiest-river/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-259741</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Planned coal plants fizzle as Japan ends financing in Indonesia, Bangladesh</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/planned-coal-plants-fizzle-as-japan-ends-financing-in-indonesia-bangladesh/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/planned-coal-plants-fizzle-as-japan-ends-financing-in-indonesia-bangladesh/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Jun 2022 11:47:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hayat Indriyatno]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/06/28113737/PLN-PLTU-Indramayu-Cuk-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=257724</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Bangladesh, East Asia, Indonesia, Japan, Java, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Banking, charcoal, Climate, Climate Change, climate finance, Coal, Energy, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Fossils, Funding, and Politics]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Major coal-fired power plant projects in Indonesia and Bangladesh have effectively been cancelled after the Japanese government, their main funder, recently announced it would stop providing loans to build such plants in the two countries. For Indonesia in particular, the move also means the loss of the top three foreign funders of coal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Major coal-fired power plant projects in Indonesia and Bangladesh have effectively been cancelled after the Japanese government, their main funder, recently announced it would stop providing loans to build such plants in the two countries. For Indonesia in particular, the move also means the loss of the top three foreign funders of coal plants in the country, after similar decisions by China and South Korea. The projects affected by Japan’s decision are the Matarbari 2 coal expansion project in Bangladesh and a plan to build two additional 1,000-megawatt coal-fired units at the Indramayu coal plant in Indonesia. Both Indonesia and Bangladesh had been conducting surveys for the projects with Japan’s backing, but construction hasn’t commenced for either project. On June 22, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced at a press conference that Tokyo has decided to withdraw financing for both projects. In light of the announcement, Bangladesh’s energy minister, Nasrul Hamid, said the Matarbari 2 project had been scrapped. &#8220;We have already cancelled the plan of Matarbari phase-2,” he told local media. “We plan to build an LNG-based power plant. The plant will be interconnected with the LNG [liquified natural gas] terminal.” In 2021, the Bangladeshi government also canceled plans to build 10 coal power plants, which were expected to pull in about $10 billion in investments. In Indonesia, the $4billion Indramayu project is also likely to be scrapped, the government has indicated. Wanhar, director of electricity program supervision at the country’s energy ministry, said the Indramayu project is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/planned-coal-plants-fizzle-as-japan-ends-financing-in-indonesia-bangladesh/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/planned-coal-plants-fizzle-as-japan-ends-financing-in-indonesia-bangladesh/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-257724</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Environment award stokes urge to save Indonesia’s karst landscape</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/environment-award-stokes-urge-to-save-indonesias-karst-landscape/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/environment-award-stokes-urge-to-save-indonesias-karst-landscape/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 May 2022 15:49:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Donny IqbalWarief Djajanto Basorie]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/05/16153420/1-Highline-an-outdoor-activity-as-well-as-a-conservation-effort-in-the-Karst-Citatah-area-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=255870</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and West Java]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Caves, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation leadership, Degraded Lands, Environment, Illegal Mining, Karst, Land Conflict, Mining, NGOs, Pollution, and Protected Areas]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“Recover Citatah Karst, Make People Prosper.” That’s the call printed in red letters on a huge white banner pinned on a limestone cliff in Indonesia’s West Java province. “We put up the banner so that anyone could read it — citizens, cliff climbers, the government — as a means of our campaign,” says Deden Syarif [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“Recover Citatah Karst, Make People Prosper.” That’s the call printed in red letters on a huge white banner pinned on a limestone cliff in Indonesia’s West Java province. “We put up the banner so that anyone could read it — citizens, cliff climbers, the government — as a means of our campaign,” says Deden Syarif Hidayat, founder and head of the Citatah Karst Care Youth Forum. The environmental advocacy group operates to conserve a limestone-based karst landscape in four villages in Padalarang subdistrict, West Bandung district. Citatah is one of the four villages. What sparked Deden to start his conservation drive was the unsightly environmental damage in the area: mountain destruction, groundwater depletion, air and noise pollution, land erosion, animal extinction, and farmland loss. The vicinity was under threat from unsupervised mining and a confusing proliferation of permits. Aerial photo of karst conditions in Padalarang, West Java, some time ago. The vicinity was under threat from unsupervised mining and a confusing proliferation of permits. Image by Donny Iqbal/Mongabay. Much of the mining activity is illegal and ignores the impact to the environment, says Deden, 37, who works as an Islamic studies instructor at Bandung State Polytechnic, a local higher education institute. Last year, the group received a special recognition for its efforts: the Kalpataru Award, given by Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry to honor individuals or groups for service in conservation. Karst is a limestone landscape easily dissolved by rainwater, often making formations of ridges, towers, fissures, caves and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/05/environment-award-stokes-urge-to-save-indonesias-karst-landscape/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-255870</doi>				</item>
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