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		<title>Conservation news</title>
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		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
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	<title>Papua environmental news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/papua/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>In Indonesia, 20 Indigenous subtribes seek common ground amid mining divisions</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-indonesia-20-indigenous-subtribes-seek-common-ground-amid-mining-divisions/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-indonesia-20-indigenous-subtribes-seek-common-ground-amid-mining-divisions/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Sep 2026 16:46:23 +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/20/2026/09/01161500/23f9659d-gp0sua2mg-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=328173</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Environment, Governance, Indigenous Peoples, Law, Mining, and Natural Resources]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[ARBOREK, Southwest Papua, Indonesia — For generations, Raja Ampat’s Indigenous communities have governed different forests, reefs and islands according to their customary systems. Those communities have distinct identities and territorial claims, which sometimes overlap or lead to disputes. Recently, nickel mining has created new divisions, with some communities seeing the industry as an economic opportunity, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[ARBOREK, Southwest Papua, Indonesia — For generations, Raja Ampat’s Indigenous communities have governed different forests, reefs and islands according to their customary systems. Those communities have distinct identities and territorial claims, which sometimes overlap or lead to disputes. Recently, nickel mining has created new divisions, with some communities seeing the industry as an economic opportunity, while others fear it will damage the land and sea on which they depend. Against that backdrop, representatives of 20 Indigenous subtribes gathered in the tiny island village of Arborek from Aug. 20-23, 2026, to find common ground and strengthen their collective voice over the future of Raja Ampat. The gathering, called Heyul Pelei Koranu Fyak, takes its name from the two major Indigenous groups in Raja Ampat, the Maya and Biak. Heyul Pelei is a Maya term meaning grand gathering, while Koranu Fyak in Biak means Indigenous people. The gathering, , was the culmination of a consolidation effort among Indigenous communities in Raja Ampat that began in 2025. It was organized by the Forum Gelar Senat Masyarakat Adat Raja Ampat in collaboration with Institut USBA, an Indigenous-focused organization based in Southwest Papua, and Greenpeace Indonesia. As night fell on the first day, representatives from each participating subtribe introduced themselves and shared stories from their respective villages. Many spoke about struggles over land, resources and environmental protection. The gathering ultimately produced a common resolution opposing mining in Raja Ampat. The Indigenous community of Arborek village welcomed the participants of the Heyul Pelei Koranu Fyak gathering,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/in-indonesia-20-indigenous-subtribes-seek-common-ground-amid-mining-divisions/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-328173</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>In Raja Ampat, children learn that their knowledge can help protect their islands</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/in-raja-ampat-children-learn-that-their-knowledge-can-help-protect-their-islands/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/in-raja-ampat-children-learn-that-their-knowledge-can-help-protect-their-islands/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Aug 2026 23:31:29 +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/20/2026/08/24232329/IMG_20260825_0810072-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=327187</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Energy Transition, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Marine, Marine Animals, Mining, Natural Resources, Oceans, Protected Areas, Rays, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[ARBOREK, West Papua, Indonesia — “Rockhead fish, salamander fish, starfish and coral.” That’s what dozens of children from Arborek, a small island in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, said when asked what they see in nature that is yellow and orange. The children rattled off the fish and other marine life they encounter when they play [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[ARBOREK, West Papua, Indonesia — “Rockhead fish, salamander fish, starfish and coral.” That’s what dozens of children from Arborek, a small island in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, said when asked what they see in nature that is yellow and orange. The children rattled off the fish and other marine life they encounter when they play in the sea, during a reading of a children’s book about Raja Ampat and the threat of nickel mining. A coral reef and marine life in the waters off Raja Ampat in Southwest Papua province, Indonesia. Image courtesy of Econusa. Research suggests that children who grow up closely connected to their surroundings can develop sophisticated understandings of their local environment. A 2014 study of children in 22 villages in Indonesian Borneo, for example, found that they recognized relationships among forests, rivers, wildlife and other environmental changes. So Sekar Bestari, the book’s illustrator, wasn’t surprised by the children’s answers. “Most of the time when we read the books to children, they understand them, so don’t underestimate children’s knowledge,” she said after the reading in Arborek. “We’re not surprised anymore today.” The reading was part of a three-day gathering of Indigenous communities in Arborek that brought together representatives from 20 Indigenous subtribes in Raja Ampat, as well as Indigenous people from other parts of Indonesia and abroad. The gathering, organized by Greenpeace Indonesia and local NGO Institut USBA, was intended to strengthen solidarity among Indigenous communities in protecting their lands, waters and biodiversity. The children’s knowledge of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/in-raja-ampat-children-learn-that-their-knowledge-can-help-protect-their-islands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-327187</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Mining threat persists in Raja Ampat, Indonesia’s ‘Amazon of the Seas’</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/mining-threat-persists-in-raja-ampat-indonesias-amazon-of-the-seas/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/mining-threat-persists-in-raja-ampat-indonesias-amazon-of-the-seas/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Aug 2026 14:31:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Laura Oliver]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/08/04142911/GP0SU7TV6-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=325289</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Birds, Business, Conservation, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Ecosystems, Energy Transition, Environmental Policy, Marine, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Mining, Natural Resources, Oceans, Pollution, Protected Areas, Sedimentation, Water Pollution, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Raja Ampat, one of the world&#8217;s most biodiverse marine regions, remains under pressure from Indonesia&#8217;s expanding nickel industry as three companies continue to seek permission to develop nickel projects in the archipelago, according to a new Greenpeace report. Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region, Raja Ampat [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Raja Ampat, one of the world&#8217;s most biodiverse marine regions, remains under pressure from Indonesia&#8217;s expanding nickel industry as three companies continue to seek permission to develop nickel projects in the archipelago, according to a new Greenpeace report. Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region, Raja Ampat hosts some of the planet&#8217;s richest marine biodiversity, including around 75% of the world&#8217;s known coral species, earning it the nickname &#8220;the Amazon of the Seas.&#8221; Public concern over nickel mining in Raja Ampat erupted in 2025 after images showing forest clearing and environmental damage were shared widely on social media. A subsequent backlash prompted the Indonesian government to suspend mining operations and later revoke four of the region&#8217;s five nickel mining permits, leaving only the state-owned PT Gag Nikel mining company in operation in the region. But Raja Ampat remains vulnerable to future mining, according to Greenpeace. Its latest report identifies three companies PT Raja Ampat Nikel Abadi (RANA), PT Waegeo Mineral Mining (WMM), and PT Eka Kurnia Baru (EKB) — pursuing projects on Waigeo Island, the archipelago&#8217;s largest island and home to endemic wildlife including Wilson&#8217;s bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus respublica), the Waigeo brushturkey (Aepypodius bruijnii), and the Waigeo spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis). In June 2025, Mongabay reported on WMM and EKB, as both companies filed lawsuits contesting the government’s refusal to officially recognize permits they have held for mining on Waigeo Island since 2023. RANA is the latest company pursuing nickel mining in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/mining-threat-persists-in-raja-ampat-indonesias-amazon-of-the-seas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-325289</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia shows elevated fire hotspot activity in 2026 as super El Niño threat looms</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/indonesia-shows-elevated-fire-hotspot-activity-in-2026-as-super-el-nino-threat-looms/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/indonesia-shows-elevated-fire-hotspot-activity-in-2026-as-super-el-nino-threat-looms/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jul 2026 15:06:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas JongIrfan Maulana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Hans Nicholas Jong]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/04/05111951/fire-used-for-land-clearing-Sumatra-Indonesia-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=324772</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Aceh, Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Disasters, Ecosystems, Extreme Weather, Fires, Forests, Global Environmental Crisis, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Peatlands, Pollution, Rainforests, Tropical Forests, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia has recorded more fire hotspot activity by late July 2026 than at the same point in any previous year, including during the devastating fire seasons of 2019 and 2023, according to new data. Data from FireWatch, a new satellite monitoring platform developed by the forest monitoring platform Nusantara Atlas, offers the clearest [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia has recorded more fire hotspot activity by late July 2026 than at the same point in any previous year, including during the devastating fire seasons of 2019 and 2023, according to new data. Data from FireWatch, a new satellite monitoring platform developed by the forest monitoring platform Nusantara Atlas, offers the clearest picture yet of where the country is burning, say scientists. It has raised fresh concerns as Indonesia heads into the months of the year when wildfires historically intensify. As of July 27, FireWatch detected more than 96,000 fire hotspots across Indonesia — more than at the same point in any previous year monitored by the platform. By comparison, about 88,000 hotspots had been detected by late July 2019 and roughly 58,000 during the same period in 2023. Hotspot comparison between 2026, 2023 and 2019. Image courtesy of FireWatch. Those two years produced Indonesia&#8217;s most destructive fire seasons in the past 10 years, burning more than 2.6 million hectares (6.4 million acres) and 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres), respectively, according to data from FireWatch. FireWatch estimates that approximately 103,000 hectares (255,000 acres) burned nationwide during the first half of 2026. Burned area comparison between 2026, 2023 and 2019. Image courtesy of FireWatch. While that remains far below the area burned in 2019, Indonesia has yet to enter the period when fire activity historically accelerates. Burning typically increases in August before peaking in September and October. The unusually high hotspot activity in 2026 comes as forecasters&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/indonesia-shows-elevated-fire-hotspot-activity-in-2026-as-super-el-nino-threat-looms/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-324772</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Fatal WWII bomb blast in Indonesia was a result of illegal fishing activity, police say</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/fatal-wwii-bomb-blast-in-indonesia-was-a-result-of-illegal-fishing-activity-police-say/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/fatal-wwii-bomb-blast-in-indonesia-was-a-result-of-illegal-fishing-activity-police-say/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jul 2026 09:03:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Asrida Elisabeth]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/29084556/Explosives-and-other-remnants-of-World-War-II-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=324751</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Culture, Disasters, Environment, Environmental Law, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Islands, Law, Oceans, and War]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BIAK, Indonesia — The munition here had outlasted one of the Pacific&#8217;s fiercest World War II battles. Eight decades later, investigators in Indonesia said it exploded by the timber-framed houses in the coastal village of Fandoi on Indonesia&#8217;s Biak Island. Investigators and officials later concluded a group of local fishers were dismantling an unexploded munition [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BIAK, Indonesia — The munition here had outlasted one of the Pacific&#8217;s fiercest World War II battles. Eight decades later, investigators in Indonesia said it exploded by the timber-framed houses in the coastal village of Fandoi on Indonesia&#8217;s Biak Island. Investigators and officials later concluded a group of local fishers were dismantling an unexploded munition recovered from coastal waters off Papua, where some of the Pacific&#8217;s most intense fighting took place in 1944. “They take them and dismantle them on the island,” said Cliff Marlessy, who as director of the Indonesia Locally Managed Marine Area (ILMMA) works with communities to manage marine resources in Biak. Their deaths are the latest in a long legacy of unexploded wartime ordnance, which has killed or injured at least 25,000 people across neighboring Papua New Guinea since 1945, according to The HALO Trust, the world&#8217;s largest humanitarian mine-clearance organization. No concrete estimate exists for the death toll across Indonesia. Authorities have known about repurposing of unexploded bombs for decades, yet some fishers continue to recover wartime explosives for use in blast fishing despite the extreme danger. Goa Jepang — or &#8220;Goa Binsar,&#8221; as locals call it — is a Japanese military bunker from World War II. Image by Asrida Elisabeth/Mongabay Indonesia. Legacy of war New Guinea and its surrounding islands were among the Pacific&#8217;s most violent World War II theatres, while Allied forces advanced westward through Japanese-held territory. During this period, months of heavy bombing and naval combat left countless unexploded bombs and artillery&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/fatal-wwii-bomb-blast-in-indonesia-was-a-result-of-illegal-fishing-activity-police-say/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-324751</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>‘Rediscovered’ species in Papua spotlight importance of Indigenous knowledge</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/rediscovered-species-in-papua-spotlights-importance-of-indigenous-knowledge/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/rediscovered-species-in-papua-spotlights-importance-of-indigenous-knowledge/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Apr 2026 02:22:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/14103750/20230611-BE4A9979-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=317487</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Oceania, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Mammals, Marsupials, Rediscovered Species, Research, Traditional Knowledge, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It started with a set of photographs, taken of an animal captured in 2015 on the Bird’s Head Peninsula in Indonesian Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea. The smallish animal with “large hands” looked a bit like a slow loris, a small primate that doesn’t live on the island, or perhaps [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It started with a set of photographs, taken of an animal captured in 2015 on the Bird’s Head Peninsula in Indonesian Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea. The smallish animal with “large hands” looked a bit like a slow loris, a small primate that doesn’t live on the island, or perhaps a cuscus, which, like this specimen, is also a marsupial. Further inspection of the photos, however, suggested it might be something else altogether, a species long thought lost to extinction — by scientists, anyway. Interviews in local communities provided a breadcrumb trail suggesting that a forest-dwelling glider, known — again, to science — only from millennia-old fragments of teeth and bone, might yet live in the forests of Indonesian Papua. Several years later, Rika Korain was approached by her longtime friend and colleague, Australian mammalogist Tim Flannery, who asked if she might help him get a bead on whether the animal still existed. Korain, a human rights lawyer and Indigenous Maybrat woman, immediately thought of the elders from the Tambrauw people, a group that lives close to the Maybrat and with whom they share traditions in common. “I’m from the Bird’s Head area,” she says. “I told [Flannery], let’s find out from my clan, from my people’s side. Let’s try to talk with the elders or especially the hunters who always go to the jungle to find out whether they see this particular animal.” So in 2023, she and Flannery spoke with two Tambrauw elders,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/rediscovered-species-in-papua-spotlights-importance-of-indigenous-knowledge/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-317487</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia’s deforestation surges 66% in 2025, reversing years of decline</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesias-deforestation-surges-66-in-2025-reversing-years-of-decline/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesias-deforestation-surges-66-in-2025-reversing-years-of-decline/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Apr 2026 03:50:22 +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/20/2025/10/10103728/Nickel-Mining-on-Manuran-Island-Auriga-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=316903</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, data, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Endangered Species, Energy, Food, food security, Forest Loss, Palm Oil, Protected Areas, Pulp And Paper, Rainforests, Remote Sensing, and Tropical Deforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s deforestation surged in 2025, rising 66% from the previous year, marking a sharp reversal after several years of decline, according to new data from the NGO Auriga Nusantara. Based on satellite analysis, Auriga estimates that 433,751 hectares (1.1 million acres) of forest, an area more than twice the size of London, were [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s deforestation surged in 2025, rising 66% from the previous year, marking a sharp reversal after several years of decline, according to new data from the NGO Auriga Nusantara. Based on satellite analysis, Auriga estimates that 433,751 hectares (1.1 million acres) of forest, an area more than twice the size of London, were lost in 2025, the highest level in eight years. Forest loss had previously fallen to a historic low in 2021, following five consecutive years of decline since 2017, driven in part by a series of forest protection policies under former President Joko Widodo. But since 2022, the trend has reversed, with deforestation rising again before spiking in 2025 across all of Indonesia’s major islands. “The surge in deforestation in 2025 is truly distressing, taking Indonesia back to a time when it was at its highest,” said Auriga executive director Timer Manurung. The trend stands in contrast to developments in the Amazon, where deforestation has declined for three consecutive years following renewed enforcement and federal efforts under Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In 2025, deforestation in the biome fell 11.1% to 579,600 hectares (1.4 million acres), the lowest level in more than a decade. “Brazil’s deforestation, concentrated in the Amazon, is declining. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s is increasing. So it’s possible Indonesia could become the world’s top deforester among tropical countries in 2025,” Timer said. Auriga’s findings are broadly consistent with early signals from official data. While the government has yet to release full-year figures for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesias-deforestation-surges-66-in-2025-reversing-years-of-decline/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/indonesias-deforestation-surges-66-in-2025-reversing-years-of-decline/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-316903</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indigenous communities oppose Papua forest rezoning for palm oil</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indigenous-communities-oppose-papua-forest-rezoning-for-palm-oil/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indigenous-communities-oppose-papua-forest-rezoning-for-palm-oil/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Feb 2026 08:09:07 +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/20/2024/06/07094358/GP0SU0TGD_Medium-res-1200px-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=314751</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Bioenergy, Conflict, Deforestation, Energy, Environment, Food, food security, Forests, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Rights, Palm Oil, Plantations, Rainforests, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indigenous communities in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua accuse the government of underhanded zoning changes to expand the so-called food estate program there to include large-scale oil palm plantations. Indigenous representatives have filed a formal objection to two decrees issued by the Ministry of Forestry that reclassify 486,939 hectares (1.2 million acres) of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indigenous communities in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua accuse the government of underhanded zoning changes to expand the so-called food estate program there to include large-scale oil palm plantations. Indigenous representatives have filed a formal objection to two decrees issued by the Ministry of Forestry that reclassify 486,939 hectares (1.2 million acres) of forest in Merauke, Boven Digoel and Mappi districts, in South Papua province, as nonforest land. This new designation means these forests are now eligible to be cleared for oil palm plantations. The communities say these decrees were issued without consulting them and overlap with areas they’ve long proposed as customary forests, or hutan adat. They allege that the process is being bulldozed through without their knowledge or consent, and that it threatens their customary territories. “This [rezoning] harms communities because they are the owners of those forests, yet they are not recognized as customary owners,” Tigor Hutapea, a lawyer from the NGO Pusaka Bentala Rakyat working with the communities, told Mongabay. He said at least four Indigenous clans in Boven Digoel district are affected by the rezoning as the areas covered by the decrees overlap onto their customary lands. Papuan Indigenous people and activists hold a protest against Merauke Food Estate in front of the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta in 2024. Image © Afriadi Hikmal / Greenpeace. Next-day approval The rezoning follows a proposal to expand the food estate program into a broader agricultural and energy project in South Papua. On Sept. 17, 2025,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indigenous-communities-oppose-papua-forest-rezoning-for-palm-oil/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/indigenous-communities-oppose-papua-forest-rezoning-for-palm-oil/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-314751</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia fast-tracks final permit for Papua rice megaproject without Indigenous consent</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/indonesia-fast-tracks-final-permit-for-papua-rice-megaproject-without-indigenous-consent/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/indonesia-fast-tracks-final-permit-for-papua-rice-megaproject-without-indigenous-consent/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jan 2026 08:43:54 +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/20/2025/11/19120029/GP0SU2V3B_Low-res-800px-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=313486</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Environment, Food, Food Vs Forests Debate, Forests, FPIC, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Rights, Rainforest Destruction, Rainforests, Rice, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indigenous rights activists have condemned the Indonesian government’s decision to grant 328,000 hectares (810,505 acres) of cultivation rights for a massive rice plantation project in Papua, warning that the final land permit was issued at unusually rapid speed, compared with the years-long process typically required for large-scale plantation permits. The process is also [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indigenous rights activists have condemned the Indonesian government’s decision to grant 328,000 hectares (810,505 acres) of cultivation rights for a massive rice plantation project in Papua, warning that the final land permit was issued at unusually rapid speed, compared with the years-long process typically required for large-scale plantation permits. The process is also criticized for taking place without the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of Indigenous communities whose customary lands are affected. The permit — known as Hak Guna Usaha (HGU) — is the last and most decisive license required before large-scale agricultural operations can begin. Activists say its issuance reflects a pattern of fast-tracked regulatory changes under the government’s food estate program that sideline Indigenous land rights and environmental safeguards in the name of national food security. They warn that the project risks triggering large-scale deforestation, land dispossession and social conflict in southern Papua, echoing past food estate failures elsewhere in Indonesia. Map of area earmarked for the rice project in Merauke. Image courtesy of Pusaka. Since the government announced plans to establish vast rice fields in southern Papua in early 2024, the project has advanced rapidly. Civil society groups report the deployment of heavy machinery and security forces to support land clearing and infrastructure development in areas earmarked for the project. The legal groundwork has moved just as quickly. In September 2025, the government reclassified 486,939 hectares (1.2 million acres) of forest estate into non-forest land (Areal Penggunaan Lain (APL), or ‘Area for Other Land&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/indonesia-fast-tracks-final-permit-for-papua-rice-megaproject-without-indigenous-consent/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/indonesia-fast-tracks-final-permit-for-papua-rice-megaproject-without-indigenous-consent/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-313486</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Study maps whale shark stranding hotspots in Indonesia, highlights conservation needs</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/whale-shark-stranding-indonesia-marine-endangered-species/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/whale-shark-stranding-indonesia-marine-endangered-species/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Nov 2025 14:55:55 +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/20/2025/09/26085157/ws_Edy-Setyawan_3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=309717</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Kalimantan, Papua, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Environment, Fish, Global Environmental Crisis, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Megafauna, Oceans, Saltwater Fish, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new study has mapped whale shark stranding hotspots in Indonesian waters over the past decade and linked their occurrence to oceanographic dynamics, providing a scientific basis for targeted, preventative conservation strategies. In the study published in October, marine researchers from Indonesia and New Zealand identified locations with significant reports of stranded whale sharks (Rhicodon [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new study has mapped whale shark stranding hotspots in Indonesian waters over the past decade and linked their occurrence to oceanographic dynamics, providing a scientific basis for targeted, preventative conservation strategies. In the study published in October, marine researchers from Indonesia and New Zealand identified locations with significant reports of stranded whale sharks (Rhicodon typus) across Indonesia between 2011 and 2023. They said long-term stranding records can fill key data gaps for migratory species, such whale sharks, and their analysis also revealed population demographics, trends and oceanographically driven stranding hotspots. “Findings from this study show that stranding incidents exhibit clear spatial and temporal patterns, with specific hotspots and seasons when cases increase,” lead author Mochamad Iqbal Herwata, a species conservation senior manager at Konservasi Indonesia (KI), the local affiliate of Conservation International, told Mongabay in an email interview. A juvenile whale shark migrating out of Saleh Bay, off Indonesia’s Sumbawa Island, toward wider waters. Image courtesy of Abdi Hasan/Konservasi Indonesia. The researchers documented whale shark strandings across Indonesia’s diverse marine habitats, where monsoon-driven oceanographic processes create productive feeding grounds. They compiled 115 verified events from news-based sources using strict inclusion criteria. They analyzed spatial and temporal patterns with statistical tests and hotspot mapping, finding that strandings were often associated with high chlorophyll-A (indicating phytoplankton abundance), high waves, and low sea surface temperatures during the southeast monsoon and transitional seasons. The scientists found that the studied whale shark stranding events across Indonesia revealed clear regional concentrations, with West Java and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/whale-shark-stranding-indonesia-marine-endangered-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/whale-shark-stranding-indonesia-marine-endangered-species/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-309717</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>New pledge, old problems as Indonesia’s latest Indigenous forest promise draws skepticism</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/new-pledge-old-problems-as-indonesias-latest-indigenous-forest-promise-draws-skepticism/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/new-pledge-old-problems-as-indonesias-latest-indigenous-forest-promise-draws-skepticism/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Nov 2025 11:46:57 +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/20/2025/11/10154038/9f56c84a-533b-4428-aaad-7a1c96823535-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=309041</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate, Climate Change, Climate Justice, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Deforestation, Environment, Food, food security, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Grabbing, Land Reform, Land Rights, Politics, Rainforests, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BELÉM, Brazil — Indonesia has pledged to recognize the rights of Indigenous and customary communities to 1.4 million hectares, about 3.5 million acres, of forests by 2029. It’s a move the government says will help curb deforestation and protect Indigenous rights. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni made the announcement Nov. 4 at the United for [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BELÉM, Brazil — Indonesia has pledged to recognize the rights of Indigenous and customary communities to 1.4 million hectares, about 3.5 million acres, of forests by 2029. It’s a move the government says will help curb deforestation and protect Indigenous rights. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni made the announcement Nov. 4 at the United for Wildlife Global Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where it was welcomed as a sign of progress. But back home, activists have panned it as yet another promise that will go unfulfilled by a government that continues to displace Indigenous peoples through its development projects. “Indigenous peoples are the true guardians of Indonesia’s tropical forests — the front line in protecting a sustainable and just planet,” Raja Juli wrote on his X account, adding that recognizing Indigenous rights can cut deforestation by 30-50%. If achieved, the plan would quadruple the area of officially recognized customary forests in Indonesia, home to the world’s third-largest expanse of tropical rainforest (after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo). Yet Indigenous groups say the government has made similar pledges before, none of which have materialized. Instead, they say, land grabs for extractive and infrastructure projects — many of them backed by the state — persist, as do policies that make legal recognition difficult. “The Indonesian government always has big ambitions on climate and deforestation, but its policies are contradictory,” said Muhammad Arman, policy and human rights director at the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), the country’s main Indigenous&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/new-pledge-old-problems-as-indonesias-latest-indigenous-forest-promise-draws-skepticism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/new-pledge-old-problems-as-indonesias-latest-indigenous-forest-promise-draws-skepticism/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-309041</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Scientists call for stronger action to save Indonesia’s vanishing seagrass meadows</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Nov 2025 14:24:33 +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/20/2025/11/04064725/Jenis-lamun-di-Kepulauan-Togean-Sulawesi-Tengah.-Foto_-Christopel-Paino-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=308768</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Kalimantan, Papua, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Global Environmental Crisis, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Seagrass]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[SANUR, Indonesia — Indonesia’s seagrass ecosystems are crucial for climate action, biodiversity and coastal livelihoods, yet remain a largely neglected asset, marine scientists and conservation experts said at a recent meeting. Participants at the Indonesian Seagrass Symposium, which ran from Oct. 29-30 on the island of Bali, called for stronger collaboration and data-driven policies to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[SANUR, Indonesia — Indonesia’s seagrass ecosystems are crucial for climate action, biodiversity and coastal livelihoods, yet remain a largely neglected asset, marine scientists and conservation experts said at a recent meeting. Participants at the Indonesian Seagrass Symposium, which ran from Oct. 29-30 on the island of Bali, called for stronger collaboration and data-driven policies to secure the future of these ecosystems in Indonesia’s environmental agenda. They said scientific data gaps, weak institutional capacity and low public awareness were key barriers to stronger protection and policy integration. “I see seagrass as a kind of forgotten ecosystem,” Victor Nikijuluw, senior ocean program adviser at the foundation Konservasi Indonesia (KI), the national affiliate of Conservation International and host of the symposium, told reporters. “We barely pay attention to it, even though its ecological, biological and ecosystem service roles are strategically important.” In Indonesia, Victor added, “this is the ecosystem most often sacrificed, that’s why I call it the forgotten ecosystem, one that most people don’t even know about.” Seagrass meadows are a crucial habitat for dugongs. Image courtesy of Tutus Wijanarko/WWF-Indonesia. Seagrasses, distinct from seaweeds, are flowering plants that thrive beneath shallow coastal waters and form vital nurseries for juvenile fish and shelter for marine life such as crabs, prawns and sea cucumbers. Together with mangroves and coral reefs, these meadows help trap carbon, filter land-based runoff, and buffer shorelines from erosion. Across the world, more than 70 seagrass species blanket roughly 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of ocean floor, an expanse&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/seagrass-meadows-marine-conservation-indonesia-blue-carbon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-308768</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Nickel mining threatens Raja Ampat ecosystems, communities &#038; conservation: Report</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-threatens-raja-ampat-ecosystems-communities-conservation-report/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-threatens-raja-ampat-ecosystems-communities-conservation-report/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Oct 2025 01:43:07 +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/20/2025/09/12105323/Copy-of-DJI_20241223084456_0019_V-min-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=307396</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, Deforestation, Electric Cars, Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Marine, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Mining, Nikel, Renewable Energy, and UNESCO World Heritage Site]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — In a new report, marine activists are demanding restoration efforts from nickel miners and the Indonesian government for affected areas of Raja Ampat while also urging authorities to enforce the ban on mineral extraction in coastal and small island regions. The recently published paper combines geospatial analysis with field evidence to reveal mounting [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — In a new report, marine activists are demanding restoration efforts from nickel miners and the Indonesian government for affected areas of Raja Ampat while also urging authorities to enforce the ban on mineral extraction in coastal and small island regions. The recently published paper combines geospatial analysis with field evidence to reveal mounting ecological risks from expanding nickel mining in Raja Ampat, known as the “Crown Jewel of Marine Biodiversity.” The research maps how concessions overlap with vital coral reefs, forests and community territories within the UNESCO Global Geopark. The findings point to growing pressure on both ecosystems and the livelihoods of Indigenous and local people across the archipelago. “Our research shows that nickel mining in Raja Ampat creates a domino effect of destruction, from direct forest clearing to sediment runoff that suffocates coral reefs to the displacement of marine species that local communities depend upon,” Timer Manurung, chair of the environmental organization Auriga Nusantara, which collaborated with mining watchdog Earth Insight in the research, said in a press statement published Sept. 25. Nickel mining on Manuran Island. Image courtesy of Auriga Nusantara. The research, supported by recent field photos, has revealed how more than 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) of nickel mining concessions continue to threaten the UNESCO Global Geopark in Raja Ampat. Using the latest geospatial analysis, the researchers mapped overlaps between mining concessions and critical ecosystems, showing risks to 2,470 hectares (6,100 acres) of coral reefs and 7,200 hectares (17,800 acres) of forest, as well as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-threatens-raja-ampat-ecosystems-communities-conservation-report/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-threatens-raja-ampat-ecosystems-communities-conservation-report/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-307396</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia eyes seagrass zoning for blue carbon; experts urge community benefits</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indonesia-eyes-seagrass-zoning-for-blue-carbon-experts-urge-community-benefits/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indonesia-eyes-seagrass-zoning-for-blue-carbon-experts-urge-community-benefits/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Oct 2025 08:39:58 +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/20/2025/10/07122243/2847d35f-7bed-4686-8e25-62053ac6a0a4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=307028</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Java, Kalimantan, Papua, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Blue Carbon, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Global Environmental Crisis, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Marine, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Seagrass]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia’s push to legalize a blue carbon zoning plan that’s focused on seagrass has sparked optimism for climate solutions, but some experts debate its risks and safeguards. The Indonesian Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has been drafting new amendments to a 2019 government regulation to designate 17 seagrass habitats across the archipelago as certain &#8220;national [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia’s push to legalize a blue carbon zoning plan that’s focused on seagrass has sparked optimism for climate solutions, but some experts debate its risks and safeguards. The Indonesian Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has been drafting new amendments to a 2019 government regulation to designate 17 seagrass habitats across the archipelago as certain &#8220;national strategic areas&#8221; (KSNT), giving them priority status for sovereignty, environmental protection and global heritage. The ministry’s director-general of marine spatial management, Kartika Listriana, said the zoning plan for Blue Carbon Reserves was a pledge to fight the climate crisis, protect ocean ecosystems and support coastal communities. “Marine spatial planning is meant to create real benefits,” she said in a Sept. 14 press release, “from giving investors legal certainty in the marine and fisheries sectors to improving community welfare to safeguarding our coasts and seas.” Mangrove and seagrass ecosystems in northern Nias Island. Image courtesy of Eko Siswono Toyudho/Konservasi Indonesia. Indonesia is moving to designate 17 seagrass habitats as national strategic areas for blue carbon, a plan that promises climate and community benefits but raises concerns over safeguards. Image courtesy of Eko Siswono Toyudho/Konservasi Indonesia. Indonesia holds about 11.5% of the world’s seagrass meadows, a resource the government hopes to tap to expand its carbon storage capacity. Scientists estimate that, per unit area, seagrass can capture carbon up to 35 times more effectively than tropical rainforests. According to the ministry, 17 sites have been earmarked as indicative KSNT locations for blue carbon reserves under the 2025-45&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indonesia-eyes-seagrass-zoning-for-blue-carbon-experts-urge-community-benefits/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-307028</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Just as Raja Ampat fetches UNESCO Biosphere Reserve title, nickel mining looms</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/just-as-raja-ampat-fetches-unesco-biosphere-reserve-title-nickel-mining-looms/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/just-as-raja-ampat-fetches-unesco-biosphere-reserve-title-nickel-mining-looms/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Oct 2025 05:29:08 +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/20/2024/01/31195437/raja-ampat_240120005104_0355-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=306953</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, Deforestation, Electric Cars, Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Marine, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Mining, Nikel, Renewable Energy, and UNESCO World Heritage Site]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Even as UNESCO hails Raja Ampat as a global conservation model, nickel mining threatens to carve up its forests and coral reefs. On Sept. 27, UNESCO designated 26 new biosphere reserves across 21 countries — the highest number in 20 years. Among them is Raja Ampat, strengthening its place as a flagship site [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Even as UNESCO hails Raja Ampat as a global conservation model, nickel mining threatens to carve up its forests and coral reefs. On Sept. 27, UNESCO designated 26 new biosphere reserves across 21 countries — the highest number in 20 years. Among them is Raja Ampat, strengthening its place as a flagship site of global biodiversity conservation and adding to its recognition as a UNESCO Global Geopark earned in 2023. The “dual designation” makes Raja Ampat one of the very few places on Earth honored both for its geological heritage and its biodiversity. Located off the western tip of New Guinea’s main island, the new Raja Ampat Biosphere Reserve spans 13.5 million hectares (33.4 million acres) — about the size of New York state — and encompasses some 610 islands, only 34 of them inhabited. UNESCO calls the archipelago a “living laboratory” of conservation, citing its 400-million-year-old rock formations and extraordinary marine life. Known as the “Amazon of the Seas,” Raja Ampat sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle and hosts 75% of the world’s coral species, more than 1,300 reef fish species and five species of rare or endangered turtles, including the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). A coral reef and marine life in the waters off Raja Ampat in Southwest Papua province, Indonesia. Image courtesy of Econusa. Mining threat But this international acclaim comes as mining concessions advance in the same waters and forests. A new report from Indonesian NGO Auriga Nusantara and U.S.-based Earth Insight&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/just-as-raja-ampat-fetches-unesco-biosphere-reserve-title-nickel-mining-looms/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/just-as-raja-ampat-fetches-unesco-biosphere-reserve-title-nickel-mining-looms/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-306953</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Study spotlights West Papua habitat as whale sharks face increased pressures</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/study-spotlights-west-papua-habitat-as-whale-sharks-face-increased-pressures/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/study-spotlights-west-papua-habitat-as-whale-sharks-face-increased-pressures/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Sep 2025 06:07:44 +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/20/2025/09/26085143/ws_Edy-Setyawan_1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=306620</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Ecosystems, Ecotourism, Endangered Species, Environment, Fish, Global Environmental Crisis, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Megafauna, Oceans, Protected Areas, Saltwater Fish, Sharks, Whale Sharks, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new study reports that the Bird’s Head Seascape off Indonesia’s West Papua serves as a vital habitat for juvenile male whale sharks, but lift-net fisheries, tourism boats and emerging mining activities in the region underscore the urgent need for stronger protection and management. The population demographics of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) within the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new study reports that the Bird’s Head Seascape off Indonesia’s West Papua serves as a vital habitat for juvenile male whale sharks, but lift-net fisheries, tourism boats and emerging mining activities in the region underscore the urgent need for stronger protection and management. The population demographics of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) within the four key BHS regions (Cendrawasih Bay, Kaimana, Raja Ampat, and Fakfak) showed a dominance of juvenile males that use these habitats as nursery or foraging grounds and reducing predation risk while growing, according to the research published Aug. 28 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. The international group of researchers also found that more than half of the whale sharks in the study had injuries from preventable human causes. “The scars and wounds we see on whale sharks are like a diary of their encounters with people,” Edy Setyawan, lead conservation scientist at the Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia who is the lead author of the paper, told Mongabay in an email. The Bird’s Head Seascape is a vital nursery for juvenile male whale sharks. Image courtesy of Edy Setyawan. Most whale shark sightings occurred in Cenderawasih Bay and Kaimana. Image courtesy of Edy Setyawan. From 2010-23, the researchers tracked 268 whale sharks across the BHS — a region hosting a network of 26 marine protected areas and a hotspot for marine megafauna and tropical marine biodiversity — using photos from scientists and citizen divers. Nearly all sightings were in Cenderawasih Bay and Kaimana, where the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/study-spotlights-west-papua-habitat-as-whale-sharks-face-increased-pressures/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/study-spotlights-west-papua-habitat-as-whale-sharks-face-increased-pressures/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-306620</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Religion at a crossroads in Indonesia as Islamic groups bid to operate large-scale mines</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/religion-at-a-crossroads-in-indonesia-as-islamic-groups-bid-to-operate-large-scale-mines/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/religion-at-a-crossroads-in-indonesia-as-islamic-groups-bid-to-operate-large-scale-mines/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Sep 2025 07:29:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ramadani Saputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/25122338/nickel-mining-raja-ampat-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=306503</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Energy, Environment, Forests, Illegal Mining, Mining, Nikel, Pollution, Protected Areas, Rainforests, and Tropical Deforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s two biggest Islamic organizations usually seize the country’s attention twice a year, when they gather to determine when the religious holidays of Idul Fitri and Idul Adha will be celebrated. But for the past year, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have caught the spotlight for a different reason: their decision to operate large-scale [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s two biggest Islamic organizations usually seize the country’s attention twice a year, when they gather to determine when the religious holidays of Idul Fitri and Idul Adha will be celebrated. But for the past year, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have caught the spotlight for a different reason: their decision to operate large-scale mines in the Southeast Asian nation. Indonesia, home to 270 million people, is a top producer of coal and nickel. In 2024, then-President Joko Widodo’s administration issued a regulation enabling religious organizations to manage mines, saying it would foster economic equality. Jokowi, as he is popularly known, said at the time that “many [religious organizations] have complained to me, why is mining only delegated to big companies? We, too, would be ready to accept a concession if it were given.” Observers in civil society criticized the policy, saying it looked like payback to the organizations for supporting Jokowi’s chosen successor, Prabowo Subianto, in the February 2024 election, and that it made no sense to put management of complex industrial enterprises in the hands of faith groups. The controversy has continued with the recent uproar over a plan to mine nickel in Raja Ampat, Indonesia’s premier diving destination and coral reef hub. In a televised debate over the issue, Ulil Abshar Abdalla, the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama’s central governing body, derisively labeled environmental groups like Greenpeace as “environmental wahhabists,” a reference to the Wahhabi sect of Islam seen as puritanical for its literal interpretation of scripture.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/religion-at-a-crossroads-in-indonesia-as-islamic-groups-bid-to-operate-large-scale-mines/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/religion-at-a-crossroads-in-indonesia-as-islamic-groups-bid-to-operate-large-scale-mines/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-306503</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia reopens Raja Ampat nickel mine despite reef damage concerns</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-reopens-raja-ampat-nickel-mine-despite-reef-damage-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-reopens-raja-ampat-nickel-mine-despite-reef-damage-concerns/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Sep 2025 11:04:29 +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/20/2025/09/12104620/GP0SU5JZQ-min-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=305817</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Business, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, Deforestation, Electric Cars, Environment, Forests, Marine Conservation, Mining, Nikel, Oceans, Pollution, Protected Areas, Supply Chain, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has allowed a controversial nickel mine to resume operating in the marine haven of Raja Ampat, despite a company-commissioned study finding the project has harmed the environment and community health in one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems. State-owned miner PT Gag Nikel resumed working on Sept. 3 on [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has allowed a controversial nickel mine to resume operating in the marine haven of Raja Ampat, despite a company-commissioned study finding the project has harmed the environment and community health in one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems. State-owned miner PT Gag Nikel resumed working on Sept. 3 on Gag Island, a small island in the Raja Ampat archipelago, after the government lifted a moratorium imposed in June. Officials said the company had complied with environmental requirements, citing its “green” rating on the environment ministry’s annual assessment of companies’ environmental and social performance. Tri Winarno, head of mining and coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said the decision was made jointly with the environment ministry and the marine affairs ministry. A green rating, he noted, means a company is “comply[ing] with all environmental governance plus community empowerment.” Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq echoed this, adding Gag Nikel would still undergo increased monitoring. “As directed by the president, even though we did not revoke Gag’s license, the supervision must be layered. We have done this, so we will regularly increase the intensity of visits to Gag,” Hanif said as quoted by Bisnis.com. He added his ministry has introduced “additional components and variables of oversight” into the company’s environmental permit. Deforestation for nickel mining in Gag Island, Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Image courtesy of Auriga Nusantara. But this official assessment contrasts sharply with a 2024 study funded by Gag Nikel itself, which found environmental&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/indonesia-reopens-raja-ampat-nickel-mine-despite-reef-damage-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-305817</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Sharks didn’t rebound—so Mark Erdmann is putting them back</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/sharks-didnt-rebound-so-mark-erdmann-is-putting-them-back/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/sharks-didnt-rebound-so-mark-erdmann-is-putting-them-back/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2025 12:42:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/07/11183735/Mark-recovery-swim-thresher-17-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=302225</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature conservation Influencers]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Carnivores, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Technology, Ecosystems, Ecotourism, Elasmobranchs, Endangered Species, Environment, Fish, Green, Hope and optimism, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Oceans, Predators, Protected Areas, Reintroductions, Restoration, Rewilding, shark finning, Sharks, Species Discovery, Technology, Tourism, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildtech]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For more than three decades, Mark Erdmann has worked where many only dream of diving—on the reefs and in the tangled mangroves of Indonesia’s farthest reaches. A marine biologist by training and a conservationist by necessity, Erdmann has spent much of his life documenting new species, persuading local communities to back marine protection, and fighting [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For more than three decades, Mark Erdmann has worked where many only dream of diving—on the reefs and in the tangled mangroves of Indonesia’s farthest reaches. A marine biologist by training and a conservationist by necessity, Erdmann has spent much of his life documenting new species, persuading local communities to back marine protection, and fighting off the encroachment of extractive industries. His career, by his own account, has spanned more than 220 species discoveries, a handful of close encounters with crocodiles, and the creation of a new model for shark rewilding. Erdmann’s journey began in a remote island village off the coast of South Sulawesi in 1991, where he arrived as a Ph.D. student studying coral reef ecology. His neighbors, he quickly realized, were bomb fishers and shark finners. The shift from science to action was swift. “It was clear that more than science was needed; active protection was critical,” he recalls. That realization became a life’s work. As Vice President of Asia-Pacific Marine Programs at Conservation International and now Executive Director of ReShark and Shark Conservation Director at Re:wild, Erdmann has been at the forefront of efforts to transform marine protection from a top-down regulatory exercise to a bottom-up, community-owned endeavor. Few places showcase this as clearly as Raja Ampat, the archipelago off West Papua that has become the crown jewel of Indonesian marine conservation. Wayag lagoon release site in Indonesia&#8217;s Raja Ampat. Photo by Mark Erdmann. When Erdmann first visited Raja Ampat in 2001, the coral reefs were&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/sharks-didnt-rebound-so-mark-erdmann-is-putting-them-back/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-302225</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>UN calls out Indonesia’s Merauke food estate for displacing Indigenous communities</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/un-calls-out-indonesias-merauke-food-estate-for-displacing-indigenous-communities/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/un-calls-out-indonesias-merauke-food-estate-for-displacing-indigenous-communities/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Jun 2025 14:37:29 +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/20/2024/12/26040457/2-Aksi-Menolak-PSN-Merauke-Jkt-161024-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=301288</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[agribusiness, Agriculture, Conflict, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Deforestation, Environment, Food, food security, Forests, FPIC, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Rights, Plantations, Rainforests, Social Conflict, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — United Nations rights officials have raised the alarm over alleged human rights abuses and environmental destruction linked to a massive plantation project in the Indonesian district of Merauke. Special rapporteurs to the U.N. human rights commission sent separate letters to the Indonesian government and a key project developer, PT Global Papua Abadi (GPA), [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — United Nations rights officials have raised the alarm over alleged human rights abuses and environmental destruction linked to a massive plantation project in the Indonesian district of Merauke. Special rapporteurs to the U.N. human rights commission sent separate letters to the Indonesian government and a key project developer, PT Global Papua Abadi (GPA), dated March 7, 2025, over allegations that they had displaced Indigenous communities, cleared forests without consent, and deployed military forces to quash dissent. Under the so-called Merauke food estate project, agribusiness giants have secured vast concessions to clear 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land in Merauke, two-thirds of it for sugarcane plantations and the rest for rice fields. That amounts to an area 45 times the size of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. The current project builds on the earlier Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) program launched in 2010, which has been revived and expanded as a project of strategic national importance, or PSN. Crucially, PSN designation gives the government and approved developers eminent domain rights to evict communities from their land under the pretext of national interests. According to the letters, co-signed by nine U.N. special rapporteurs, the project has allegedly violated Indigenous peoples’ rights by not properly consulting them and thus failing to obtain their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). The rapporteurs warn that “more than 50,000 Indigenous people living in 40 villages around and within the project area will be directly affected by its implementation.” Vincent Kwipalo is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/un-calls-out-indonesias-merauke-food-estate-for-displacing-indigenous-communities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-301288</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>No respite for Indonesia’s Raja Ampat as nickel companies sue to revive mines</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/no-respite-for-indonesias-raja-ampat-as-nickel-companies-sue-to-revive-mines/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/no-respite-for-indonesias-raja-ampat-as-nickel-companies-sue-to-revive-mines/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jun 2025 16:07:44 +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/20/2025/06/13160047/GP0SU5K06_Low-res-800px-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=300780</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Biodiversity, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, Energy, Environment, Forests, Illegal Mining, Marine, Marine Conservation, Mining, Oceans, Pollution, Protected Areas, Rainforests, Tropical Forests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — A stormy saga over nickel mining in one of the most biodiverse marine regions in the world appears to be far from over, even after the Indonesian government revoked the permits of most of the companies involved. In the latest development, Greenpeace has revealed that three companies hit by earlier permit infractions are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — A stormy saga over nickel mining in one of the most biodiverse marine regions in the world appears to be far from over, even after the Indonesian government revoked the permits of most of the companies involved. In the latest development, Greenpeace has revealed that three companies hit by earlier permit infractions are currently challenging the government in court to allow them to mine on islands in the Raja Ampat archipelago. At the same time, the government itself is planning to build a nickel processing plant nearby, according to the Greenpeace report. PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (ASP) is one of four mining companies whose permits were revoked on June 10 for alleged environmental and zoning violations, among other cited reasons. It had its permit to another concession in the archipelago, located on Waigeo Island, revoked in 2022, and earlier this year filed a lawsuit against the government over that revocation. Two other miners, PT Waegeo Mineral Mining (WMM) and PT Eka Kurnia Baru (EKB), also have lawsuits pending in court over the government’s refusal to officially recognize their permits on Waigeo Island since 2023. “These concessions could be reactivated if they won in court,” Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaign team leader Arie Rompas said in Jakarta on June 12 at the launch of the report. He added that Greenpeace is therefore calling for a complete revocation of all nickel mining permits across Raja Ampat, and for the government to not issue further licenses. “That’s why we need a legally&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/no-respite-for-indonesias-raja-ampat-as-nickel-companies-sue-to-revive-mines/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/no-respite-for-indonesias-raja-ampat-as-nickel-companies-sue-to-revive-mines/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-300780</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia halts most nickel mining in Raja Ampat, but allows one controversial permit</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/indonesia-halts-most-nickel-mining-in-raja-ampat-but-allows-one-controversial-permit/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/indonesia-halts-most-nickel-mining-in-raja-ampat-but-allows-one-controversial-permit/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jun 2025 11:17:19 +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/20/2025/06/10112229/Greenpeace-Raja-Ampat-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=300496</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Energy, Environment, Forests, Illegal Mining, Marine, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Mining, Pollution, Protected Areas, Rainforests, and Tropical Deforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has revoked four out of five nickel mining permits in the Raja Ampat archipelago following a public outcry over mining in one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems. Environmental groups have welcomed the decision, but criticized the decision not to revoke the permit for the remaining concession in Raja [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has revoked four out of five nickel mining permits in the Raja Ampat archipelago following a public outcry over mining in one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems. Environmental groups have welcomed the decision, but criticized the decision not to revoke the permit for the remaining concession in Raja Ampat, held by the company PT Gag Nikel (GN). On June 10, the minister of mines, Bahlil Lahadalia announced the government had revoked the permits for four nickel mining concessions in Raja Ampat: PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (ASP), PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining (KSM), PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa (MRP), and PT Nurham. He cited environmental violations, including pollution, sedimentation and deforestation, as among the reasons for the decision. Map that shows the location of the five companies operating nickel mining in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, Indonesia. Situated within the Pacific Coral Triangle, Raja Ampat is widely recognized as a global epicenter of marine biodiversity, harboring 75% of all known coral species and more than 1,700 species of reef fish. The four revoked concessions were located on islands within the Raja Ampat archipelago that were designated by UNESCO as global geopark in 2023 due to their exceptional geological, ecological and cultural significance. The region boasts the oldest exposed rock formations in Indonesia, dating back some 400 million years. These ancient rocks, particularly prominent on Misool Island, represent nearly one-tenth of Earth&#8217;s geological history, offering invaluable insights into the planet&#8217;s evolution. “Based on our own inspections, these areas&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/indonesia-halts-most-nickel-mining-in-raja-ampat-but-allows-one-controversial-permit/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/indonesia-halts-most-nickel-mining-in-raja-ampat-but-allows-one-controversial-permit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-300496</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Pushback grows against nickel mining in Indonesian marine paradise of Raja Ampat</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/pushback-grows-against-nickel-mining-in-indonesian-marine-paradise-of-raja-ampat/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/pushback-grows-against-nickel-mining-in-indonesian-marine-paradise-of-raja-ampat/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jun 2025 16:57:23 +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/20/2025/02/07035830/6-pt-ksm-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=300436</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, Southeast Asia, and West Papua]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critical Minerals, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Electric Cars, Environment, forest degradation, Forest Destruction, Forests, Illegal Mining, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Mining, Pollution, Rainforests, Rays, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Deforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has suspended nickel mining in the Raja Ampat archipelago, citing multiple environmental violations by companies operating in the ecologically sensitive islands. The move follows viral social media posts highlighting the expansion of nickel mines and the attendant environmental degradation in the region famous for its picturesque islets and turquoise waters, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has suspended nickel mining in the Raja Ampat archipelago, citing multiple environmental violations by companies operating in the ecologically sensitive islands. The move follows viral social media posts highlighting the expansion of nickel mines and the attendant environmental degradation in the region famous for its picturesque islets and turquoise waters, spurring a public outcry and scrutiny. Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, Raja Ampat is globally renowned for its marine biodiversity, home to about 75% of the world’s known coral species — earning it the nickname of  the “Amazon of the seas.” A coral reef off the coast of Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua province, Indonesia. Image courtesy of Ronal Mambrasar/Konservasi Indonesia. But the archipelago now faces increasing pressure from Indonesia’s rapidly expanding nickel industry. The country is the biggest producer of the metal, a key component in the batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage applications. The government has billed its nickel policy as a push toward building a clean-energy future. But critics argue that the rapid development of the nickel industry has driven deforestation and pollution on small islands like those in the Malukus, and warn that Raja Ampat will become the next victim of the government’s ambitions. There are at least five companies with approved nickel mines in Raja Ampat: PT Gag Nikel (PT GN), PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining (PT KSM), PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (PT ASP), PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa (PT MRP) and PT Nurham. Together, they control at&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/pushback-grows-against-nickel-mining-in-indonesian-marine-paradise-of-raja-ampat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/pushback-grows-against-nickel-mining-in-indonesian-marine-paradise-of-raja-ampat/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-300436</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Military-backed plantation project in Indonesian Papua triggers rights concerns</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/military-backed-plantation-project-in-indonesian-papua-triggers-rights-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/military-backed-plantation-project-in-indonesian-papua-triggers-rights-concerns/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Apr 2025 03:29:26 +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/20/2024/10/03084212/IMG-20240815-WA0068-scaled-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298369</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, agribusiness, Agriculture, Conflict, Deforestation, Environment, Food, food security, Forest Loss, Forests, Global Environmental Crisis, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Rights, Military, Rainforests, and Social Conflict]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s national human rights commission has found a slew of legal and rights violations in a government-backed project to establish large-scale plantations in the eastern region of Papua. The so-called food estate project, categorized by the government as being of strategic national importance, or PSN, aims to clear 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s national human rights commission has found a slew of legal and rights violations in a government-backed project to establish large-scale plantations in the eastern region of Papua. The so-called food estate project, categorized by the government as being of strategic national importance, or PSN, aims to clear 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land in Merauke district, two-thirds of it for sugarcane plantations and the rest for rice fields — an area 45 times the size of Jakarta. The rights commission, known as Komnas HAM, launched an investigation after receiving complaints last year from four Indigenous tribes whose ancestral lands overlap with the food estate. The tribes — the Malind, Maklew, Khimaima and Yei — alleged that the project violated their land rights and impacted their livelihoods. Komnas HAM, which is funded by the government but operates independently, quizzed officials involved in the project from the local and national governments. Based on these inquiries, it said it had found indications of land grabbing, environmental degradation, militarization and intimidation. For one, Komnas HAM said the Indigenous communities hadn’t given consent to transfer or use their customary lands for the project. When the government zoned their areas for the food estate project, it never properly consulted them, the inquiry found. However, these communities lack strong legal standing to defend their territories, as their land rights aren’t formally recognized by the government. The only basis for their Indigenous territorial claims is participatory mapping — carried out by themselves — of their&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/military-backed-plantation-project-in-indonesian-papua-triggers-rights-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/military-backed-plantation-project-in-indonesian-papua-triggers-rights-concerns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298369</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia’s peatlands face growing flood risks amid widespread degradation</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/indonesias-peatlands-face-growing-flood-risks-amid-widespread-degradation/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/indonesias-peatlands-face-growing-flood-risks-amid-widespread-degradation/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Apr 2025 11:28:08 +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/20/2025/04/07111117/Banjir_Kalsel_2021-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=297154</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, Kalimantan, Papua, South Kalimantan, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Degraded Lands, Disasters, Ecosystems, Environment, Fires, Flooding, Forests, Landscape Restoration, Peatlands, Restoration, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Nearly half of Indonesia’s peatlands are vulnerable to flooding due to degradation caused by unchecked exploitation, with 6 million hectares (15 million acres) — an area twice the size of Belgium — classified as highly vulnerable, according to a new report. The report, by peatland watchdog Pantau Gambut, examined three peatland-rich regions of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Nearly half of Indonesia’s peatlands are vulnerable to flooding due to degradation caused by unchecked exploitation, with 6 million hectares (15 million acres) — an area twice the size of Belgium — classified as highly vulnerable, according to a new report. The report, by peatland watchdog Pantau Gambut, examined three peatland-rich regions of Indonesia: the island of Sumatra; the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, known as Kalimantan; and the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea, known as Papua. Each region has distinct topographical and climate characteristics. Kalimantan features lowland coastal peat with high rainfall. Sumatra has both inland and coastal peatlands. Papua is the most complex, with extremely high rainfall and peatlands spanning inland, coastal and mountainous areas. The report found that at least 25% of Indonesia&#8217;s peatlands are highly vulnerable to flooding, with another 18% classified as moderately vulnerable. This means 43% of the country’s 24 million hectares (59 million acres) of peatlands are at risk, while only 57% have low vulnerability. Peatlands, as part of wetland ecosystems, are naturally waterlogged and capable of absorbing far more water than mineral soils. Peat can retain 100-1,300% of its dry weight in water, while mineral soils typically absorb only 20-30%. However, once degraded, peatlands lose their ability to retain water effectively. This phenomenon, known as irreversible drying, turns standing water into uncontrolled runoff, leading to flooding. “The floods occurring are not a natural cycle commonly found in peatland ecosystems,” said Wahyu Perdana, advocacy and campaign&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/indonesias-peatlands-face-growing-flood-risks-amid-widespread-degradation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/indonesias-peatlands-face-growing-flood-risks-amid-widespread-degradation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-297154</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indigenous communities in Indonesia demand halt to land-grabbing government projects</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/indigenous-communities-in-indonesia-demand-halt-to-land-grabbing-government-projects/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/indigenous-communities-in-indonesia-demand-halt-to-land-grabbing-government-projects/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Mar 2025 05:37:07 +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/20/2025/03/26052636/WhatsApp-Image-2025-03-18-at-12.10.12-r30zi6yx64lxuopi3pgd0070hlbk6ypvsgjv6ll8y0-768x500.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=296480</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Conflict, Environment, Food, Food Industry, food security, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Infrastructure, Land Conflict, Land Grabbing, Land Rights, Military, Plantations, Protests, Rainforests, Social Conflict, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Hundreds of Indigenous people and civil society groups in Indonesia are demanding an end to government projects that have seized their lands, fueled violence, and stripped them of their rights. In the second week of March, more than 250 members of Indigenous and local communities affected by projects classified as being of strategic [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Hundreds of Indigenous people and civil society groups in Indonesia are demanding an end to government projects that have seized their lands, fueled violence, and stripped them of their rights. In the second week of March, more than 250 members of Indigenous and local communities affected by projects classified as being of strategic national importance, or PSN, gathered in Merauke, a district in Indonesia’s Papua region bordering Papua New Guinea. Over four days, attendees shared their experiences of displacement and suffering caused by PSN projects, which include roads, dams, power plants, industrial estates and plantations. The communities represented at the dialogue included those impacted by food estate projects in the provinces of North Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, Papua and South Papua; the Rempang Eco City project in the Riau Islands province; the Nusantara capital city (IKN) project in East Kalimantan; the Poco Leok geothermal project in East Nusa Tenggara; extractive industries related to biofuel in Jambi; various projects in West Papua; and the expansion of oil palm plantations across the wider Papua region. Some community members have been displaced from their ancestral lands. Others, who continue fighting for their land rights, face violence at the hands of the military and police. According to the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), there were 154 PSN-related conflicts from 2020 to 2024, affecting 103,000 families and 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of land. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) received 114 complaints related to PSN between 2020 and 2023, including allegations&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/indigenous-communities-in-indonesia-demand-halt-to-land-grabbing-government-projects/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-296480</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesian court blocks palm oil expansion, but leaves Indigenous land rights in limbo</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/indonesian-court-blocks-palm-oil-expansion-but-leaves-indigenous-land-rights-in-limbo/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/indonesian-court-blocks-palm-oil-expansion-but-leaves-indigenous-land-rights-in-limbo/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Mar 2025 03:50:21 +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/20/2024/06/07095251/GP0SU0THL_Medium-res-1200px-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=295368</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, agribusiness, Biodiversity, Business, Conflict, Conservation, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Deforestation, Environment, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Rights, Palm Oil, Rainforest Destruction, Rainforests, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian Supreme Court has upheld a government decision to curb the expansion of a multibillion-dollar oil palm plantation project in the country’s easternmost region of Papua. In its Dec. 2, 2024, ruling, the court rejected lawsuits filed by two plantation companies that are part of the Tanah Merah mega plantation project, PT [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian Supreme Court has upheld a government decision to curb the expansion of a multibillion-dollar oil palm plantation project in the country’s easternmost region of Papua. In its Dec. 2, 2024, ruling, the court rejected lawsuits filed by two plantation companies that are part of the Tanah Merah mega plantation project, PT Megakarya Jaya Raya (MJR) and PT Kartika Cipta Pratama (KCP). The ruling spares 65,415 hectares (161,644 acres) of rainforest — an area the size of Jakarta — in both concessions from further clearing. This sets a major legal precedent for forest conservation in the country as it reinforces that the forestry ministry has the legal authority to order companies to stop clearing forests if they fail to develop plantations or violate environmental regulations, said Sekar Banjaran Aji, a forest campaigner with Greenpeace Indonesia who represents the Indigenous Awyu tribe in the case. “[The ruling shows] that if the government actually wants to evaluate permits and take action, they do have the power. They just need clear rules of the game, for example, a clear mechanism for evaluation,” she told Mongabay. “With this ruling, the forestry ministry shouldn’t be afraid anymore to crack down on problematic palm oil companies in Papua.” The ruling marks the latest legal development in the Tanah Merah project, the world’s largest palm oil estate, which has seen investors battling over the rights to clear large swaths of primary rainforest. Forest clearance and plantation development in PT Megakarya Jaya Raya (PT MJR)&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/indonesian-court-blocks-palm-oil-expansion-but-leaves-indigenous-land-rights-in-limbo/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-295368</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Indonesia signs agrarian reform commitment amid rising land equity woes</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/indonesia-signs-agrarian-reform-commitment-amid-rising-land-equity-woes/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/indonesia-signs-agrarian-reform-commitment-amid-rising-land-equity-woes/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Feb 2025 04:24:28 +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/20/2025/02/25041834/20250219_104012-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=294949</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Environment, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Grabbing, Land Reform, Land Rights, and Plantations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government and civil society have signed a joint statement, marking a shared commitment to fast-track agrarian reform in the country. The joint statement was signed by various ministries on Feb. 19 during the first day of the Asia Land Forum in Jakarta, the largest regional forum focused on land rights and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — The Indonesian government and civil society have signed a joint statement, marking a shared commitment to fast-track agrarian reform in the country. The joint statement was signed by various ministries on Feb. 19 during the first day of the Asia Land Forum in Jakarta, the largest regional forum focused on land rights and agrarian issues in Asia. In the joint statement, the Indonesian government and civil society organizations commit to working together on accelerating agrarian reform and strengthening agrarian reform policies, seen as key strategies for poverty alleviation and achieving food self-sufficiency in Indonesia. Strong commitment and political will from the government to tackle agrarian issues in Indonesia are important as the country is grappled with worsening land ownership inequality, land-grabbing and agrarian conflicts. As much as 68% of lands in Indonesia are controlled by 1% of the population as the government prioritizes giving concessions to large corporations. These large-scale infrastructure and resource extraction projects have pushed marginalized groups such as farmers, Indigenous communities and fisherfolk off of their lands. From 2015 to 2024, there were 3,234 agrarian conflicts across 7.4 million hectares (18.3 million acres) of land, affecting 1.8 million households. This highly unequal land distribution also resulted in many farmers’ plots of lands shrinking. Official data show there were 16.9 million farmers with plots smaller than 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres), up from about 14.3 million in 2013. “How can smallholder farmers, with land holdings of less than 0.5 hectares, achieve economic security, let alone national food&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/indonesia-signs-agrarian-reform-commitment-amid-rising-land-equity-woes/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-294949</doi>				</item>
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					<title>Surge in legal land clearing pushes up Indonesia deforestation rate in 2024</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/surge-in-legal-land-clearing-pushes-up-indonesia-deforestation-rate-in-2024/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/surge-in-legal-land-clearing-pushes-up-indonesia-deforestation-rate-in-2024/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Feb 2025 04:53:56 +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/20/2025/02/07035830/6-pt-ksm-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=294051</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Kalimantan, Papua, Southeast Asia, Sulawesi, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Business, Corporate Environmental Transgressors, Corporations, Critically Endangered Species, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Energy, Environment, forest degradation, Forest Destruction, Forest Loss, Forests, Habitat, Habitat Degradation, Habitat Loss, Mining, Orangutans, Palm Oil, Plantations, Pulp And Paper, Rainforests, and Tropical Deforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s deforestation is once again rising after several years of decline, with 2024 marking the highest rate since 2021. The data also show that the vast majority of forest loss is legal, a stark difference from previous periods dominated by illegal deforestation. The country lost 261,575 hectares (646,366 acres) of forests, an area [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s deforestation is once again rising after several years of decline, with 2024 marking the highest rate since 2021. The data also show that the vast majority of forest loss is legal, a stark difference from previous periods dominated by illegal deforestation. The country lost 261,575 hectares (646,366 acres) of forests, an area four times the size of Jakarta. That’s up 1.6% from 2023, according to data from environmental NGO Auriga Nusantara, which has been monitoring the country’s forest cover for years. “While it’s only 4,000 hectares [nearly 10,000 acres] of increase [in forest loss], it’s still a worrying trend,” Auriga Nusantara director Timer Manurung told Mongabay. “At a time when natural forests [in Indonesia] keep shrinking, this number is still significant.” This increase after years of declining deforestation shows how the government has failed to protect the country’s remaining forests, estimated at less than 90 million hectares (222 million acres), according to official data, Timer said. While the government has issued a number of forest protection policies, they’re aimed mainly at restricting the issuance of new concessions for plantations and other commercial activities that involve clearing forests. But there’s no policy to protect the remaining stands of forest that lie within existing concessions that have already been granted by the government, Timer said. In fact, the government incentivizes companies to clear forests within their concessions once they have the permits to do so, and punishes them for not doing so fast enough by rescinding the concessions and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/surge-in-legal-land-clearing-pushes-up-indonesia-deforestation-rate-in-2024/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-294051</doi>				</item>
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					<title>Indonesia risks carbon ‘backfire’ with massive deforestation for sugarcane</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/indonesia-risks-carbon-backfire-with-massive-deforestation-for-sugarcane/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/indonesia-risks-carbon-backfire-with-massive-deforestation-for-sugarcane/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Dec 2024 04:40:34 +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/20/2024/12/26035002/Tebu-Papua-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=292328</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Agriculture, carbon, Carbon Emissions, Climate, Climate Change, Deforestation, Environment, Food, food security, Forests, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Grabbing, Land Rights, Rainforests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s plan to clear rainforests half the size of Switzerland for sugarcane plantations isn’t just an agricultural gamble, experts warn — it’s a potential environmental catastrophe. A new report by Jakarta-based think tank the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) found that the government’s so-called food estate program will drive a significant [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — Indonesia’s plan to clear rainforests half the size of Switzerland for sugarcane plantations isn’t just an agricultural gamble, experts warn — it’s a potential environmental catastrophe. A new report by Jakarta-based think tank the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) found that the government’s so-called food estate program will drive a significant spike in global carbon emissions from massive forest loss. The project involves clearing 2 million hectares (5 million acres) of forests, wetlands and grasslands in Merauke district in the country’s eastern Papua region, on the border with Papua New Guinea, to make way for a cluster of giant sugarcane plantations. This makes the project one of the largest legalized deforestation undertakings in the world. Based on the estimated biomass of the forests in Merauke, the deforestation will release 782.45 million metric tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to the CELIOS report. That’s the equivalent of the emissions from 187 coal-fired power plants in a year, and would amount to an estimated  $3 billion loss in carbon value, the report says. These emissions would also represent up to 143% of Indonesia&#8217;s annual emissions from deforestation, and would nearly double Indonesia’s current share of global emissions, from 2-3% at present to close to 5%. This would set back by a decade the government’s stated goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2060, the report says. The sheer scale of this deforestation would also mean the loss of critical ecosystems in southern Merauke, a unique mosaic&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/indonesia-risks-carbon-backfire-with-massive-deforestation-for-sugarcane/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-292328</doi>				</item>
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					<title>Indonesia reforestation plan a smoke screen for agriculture project, critics say</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/indonesia-reforestation-plan-a-smoke-screen-for-agriculture-project-critics-say/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/indonesia-reforestation-plan-a-smoke-screen-for-agriculture-project-critics-say/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Dec 2024 14:46:16 +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/20/2023/07/04151943/Pesalat-Reforestation-Project-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=291780</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Papua, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate, Climate Change, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Environment, Food, food security, Politics, Rainforests, Reforestation, Rehabilitation, Threats To Rainforests, and Tropical Deforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — At the U.N. climate conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Indonesian government announced an ambitious plan to reforest 12.7 million hectares (31.4 million acres) of degraded land, an area 80 times the size of London. The government framed the policy as a critical move to combat climate change, as Indonesia is one of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[JAKARTA — At the U.N. climate conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Indonesian government announced an ambitious plan to reforest 12.7 million hectares (31.4 million acres) of degraded land, an area 80 times the size of London. The government framed the policy as a critical move to combat climate change, as Indonesia is one of the world&#8217;s largest emitters of greenhouse gases from the land sector, mainly due to deforestation for agriculture. But critics argue it’s a smoke screen to offset deforestation from a massive agricultural project, raising questions about its sincerity and feasibility. Others warn the plan faces significant challenges, such as logistical hurdles. The reforestation initiative comes as part of Indonesia’s efforts to achieve its FOLU Net Sink 2030 target, which aims to turn the country’s forests into a net absorber of carbon by 2030. The reforestation initiative will help Indonesia achieve the target by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the country’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said. Yet government officials admitted the program is also intended to offset deforestation caused by the controversial food estate program, a mega agricultural project targeting millions of hectares for cultivation. Critics argue that this dual approach means the reforestation initiative might be more about optics than impact, which will undermine the credibility of Indonesia’s climate commitments. Natural forests, like this one in Indonesia, contain hundreds of native species that all contribute to the ecosystem services they provide. Protecting standing forests is quicker&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/indonesia-reforestation-plan-a-smoke-screen-for-agriculture-project-critics-say/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-291780</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>In a Noah’s Ark move, PNG migrants bring thousands of trees to safer ground</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/in-a-noahs-ark-move-png-climate-migrants-bring-thousands-of-trees-to-safer-ground/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/in-a-noahs-ark-move-png-climate-migrants-bring-thousands-of-trees-to-safer-ground/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Nov 2024 17:25:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Thibault Le Pivain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/21170737/Carterets-outrigger-e1732209528515-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=290430</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Pacific Ocean, Papua, Papua New Guinea, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation, Adaptation To Climate Change, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Erosion, Human Migration, Medicinal Plants, Migration, Plants, Sea Levels, Traditional Medicine, Trees, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BOUGAINVILLE, Papua New Guinea — The climate is changing, science shows. And according to some estimates, it could create anywhere between 200 million and 1.2 billion climate refugees by 2050. As people flee floods, failed harvests, dried rivers or destroyed homes, what becomes of the ecosystems they leave behind? Of the wildlife, trees and endemic [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[BOUGAINVILLE, Papua New Guinea — The climate is changing, science shows. And according to some estimates, it could create anywhere between 200 million and 1.2 billion climate refugees by 2050. As people flee floods, failed harvests, dried rivers or destroyed homes, what becomes of the ecosystems they leave behind? Of the wildlife, trees and endemic species? In the southwestern Pacific, people are bringing much of this biodiversity along with them. The residents of the Carteret Islands in Papua New Guinea are responding to climate threats by moving not only themselves to safer ground — but also the plants and trees that sustain their way of life. In their move, they have transplanted hundreds of specimens, representing dozens of species, across a small stretch of ocean. “We’re not just leaving. We’re trying to bring a part of our islands with us,” says Maria Kamin, who left the Carteret Islands to relocate with other families in response to rising sea levels. They’ve moved to Bougainville, another island part of the country. In their new home, this vegetation, combined with local flora, have helped establish a thriving forest of 175,000 trees and plants. During this “green migration,” residents tell Mongabay they hope to preserve not only the biodiversity of their native islands as conditions worsen, but also their culture and sense of place. Maria Kamin walks in the forest in Bougainville which villagers planted using tree species brought over from the Carteret Island. Image by Thibault Le Pivain. Carrying home forward Few people&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/in-a-noahs-ark-move-png-climate-migrants-bring-thousands-of-trees-to-safer-ground/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-290430</doi>				</item>
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