Damming the Salween: what next for Southeast Asia’s last great free-flowing river?
"We held each other's hands and moved slowly in the dark, smiling. We desired, above all, a good night's sleep, but that was not possible as we pressed on to…
Mongabay series: Southeast Asian infrastructure
Focusing on the social and environmental impacts of roads, dams, mines, and other infrastructure projects in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea.
Deep sea mining plans for Papua New Guinea raise alarm
Remote-controlled vehicles will soon begin churning up the ocean floor off the cost of Papua New Guinea, searching for millions of tons of copper and gold. In 2011, Canada-based Nautilus…
Controversial Jakarta land reclamation project gets legal go-ahead
The developers behind Islet G, a small artificial island off the coast of Jakarta, may have finally been given the legal green light to continue the project, which has been…
Massive hydroelectricity project planned for Indonesian Borneo
It seems there is always something to take from the island of Kalimantan, Indonesia. The island, also known as Borneo, has already been vastly deforested — logged and cleared, mined…
North Sumatra’s governor wants to build a road through Mt. Leuser National Park
No roads shall pass through Mount Leuser National Park. So said the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry in response to just such a proposal from the governor of North Sumatra…
Pledging to reduce emissions while expanding its power grid, Indonesia walks a fine line
Last week, Indonesia joined 81 other nations by signing United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Paris Agreement, which replaces the Kyoto Protocol as the country’s commitment to reducing its…
Environmentalists squirm as Jokowi eyes Lake Toba tourism bonanza
Driving down a winding road here in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, one finally arrives at the sweeping vista of Lake Toba. Ringed with pine-studded hills, the volcanic lake was thronged…
Struggle against mining on Bangka Island continues despite wins in court
Indonesia's Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti has publicly pledged to intervene in the case of Pulau Bangka, a tiny island off the northeastern tip of Sulawesi where…
Revealed: Australian miner used arbitration threat to upend Indonesian environmental law
A BuzzFeed News investigation has shined new light on the extent to which a secretive international legal system has enabled global mining companies to muscle their way into Indonesia’s last…
Indonesian environment ministry shoots down geothermal plan in Mount Leuser National Park
The Indonesian environment ministry has denied the Aceh provincial government’s proposal to rezone part of Mount Leuser National Park for geothermal development, reacting to opposition from conservationists who argued the…
Aceh governor eyes geothermal project in Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem
The governor of Indonesia’s Aceh province is moving forward with a plan to rezone part of Mount Leuser National Park for geothermal development, despite opposition from conservationists who say the…
Special series
Endangered environmentalists
- Arson attack in Indonesia leaves activist shaken
- For embattled environmental defenders, a reprieve of sorts in 2018
- 7 convicted of killing Honduran indigenous activist Berta Cáceres
Indonesias forest guardians
- On the island of Java, a social forestry scheme creates jobs at home
- In Indonesia, bigger catches for a fishing village protecting its mangroves
- In Bali, a village hews to unwritten rules to manage its forest
Amazon infrastructure
- Amazon fish kill at Sinop spotlights risk from 80+ Tapajós basin dams
- Leading Amazon dam rights activist, spouse and friend murdered in Brazil
- Madeira River dams may spell doom for Amazon’s marathon catfish: Studies
Asian rhinos
- Sumatran rhinos to get a new sanctuary in Leuser Ecosystem
- Homestay programs in Nepal’s rhino hub hold promise and pitfalls for locals
- Rare rhino’s death should light a fire under Indonesia (commentary)
