Political ecologies of the post-mining landscape: Activism, resistance, and legal struggles over Kalimantan's coal mines

Toumbourou, Tessa; Muhdar, Muhamad; Werner, Tim T.; Bebbington, Anthony

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2020.101476

Cited by 55 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Petroleum extraction in the Niger Delta alone represented 20 km 2 of NPC losses. Notable resource mining activities in other regions also included 5 km 2 of NPC loss from Grasberg Mine tailings in Papua, Indonesia (Alonzo, Van Den Hoek, & Ahmed, 2016) and widespread hotspots of open pit coal mining in the Mahakam River of East Kalimantan, Indonesia (Toumbourou, Muhdar, Werner, & Bebbington, 2020). NPC‐driven losses ultimately declined by 46% from 268 km 2 in loss2005 to 129 km 2 in loss2016 (Figure 2c).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global declines in human‐driven mangrove loss

Goldberg

Lagomasino

Thomas

et al. 2020

Global Change Biology

609

331

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Global mangrove loss has been attributed primarily to human activity. Anthropogenic loss hotspots across Southeast Asia and around the world have characterized the ecosystem as highly threatened, though natural processes such as erosion can also play a significant role in forest vulnerability. However, the extent of human and natural threats has not been fully quantified at the global scale. Here, using a Random Forest‐based analysis of over one million Landsat images, we present the first 30 m resolution global maps of the drivers of mangrove loss from 2000 to 2016, capturing both human‐driven and natural stressors. We estimate that 62% of global losses between 2000 and 2016 resulted from land‐use change, primarily through conversion to aquaculture and agriculture. Up to 80% of these human‐driven losses occurred within six Southeast Asian nations, reflecting the regional emphasis on enhancing aquaculture for export to support economic development. Both anthropogenic and natural losses declined between 2000 and 2016, though slower declines in natural loss caused an increase in their relative contribution to total global loss area. We attribute the decline in anthropogenic losses to the regionally dependent combination of increased emphasis on conservation efforts and a lack of remaining mangroves viable for conversion. While efforts to restore and protect mangroves appear to be effective over decadal timescales, the emergence of natural drivers of loss presents an immediate challenge for coastal adaptation. We anticipate that our results will inform decision‐making within conservation and restoration initiatives by providing a locally relevant understanding of the causes of mangrove loss.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global declines in human‐driven mangrove loss

Goldberg

Lagomasino

Thomas

et al. 2020

Global Change Biology

609

331

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“…In 2017, coal was the largest contributor (35%) to the province's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) (IESR 2019 2020). 6 However, we found that issues pertaining to low compliance in fulfilling reclamation obligations persist (see also ibid) and a previous study has also shown the presence of contested interpretations of reclamation regulations, further rendering the implementation ineffective (Toumbourou et al 2020).…”

Section: Coal Transition and Postmining Reclamation: A Gradual Progressmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Interviewees highlighted the continued centrality of coal to East Kalimantan's economy, referring to recent endorsements from powerful provincial bureaucrats and political figures. Similar political support for coal has been documented at the national level (Fünfgeld 2016;Toumbourou et al 2020). From an Energy and Mineral Resources Agency (hereinafter Dinas ESDM) official's perspective, the focus of Kaltim Green in the coal mining sector is on law enforcement and improving corporate compliance with existing regulations.…”

Section: Coal Phase-outmentioning

confidence: 72%

The politics of the green economy in provincial Indonesia: Insights from coal and oil palm sector reforms in East Kalimantan

Nofyanza¹,

Barney²,

Peteru³

et al. 2021

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The politics of the green economy in provincial Indonesia Insights from coal and oil palm sector reforms in East Kalimantan Key messages• East Kalimantan province (Kaltim) has adopted and developed a long-term phased 'green' economic reform strategy that includes goals to limit coal production and increase agricultural productivity, particularly in the oil palm sector.• One notable achievement of East Kalimantan's green economic reform is the issuance of various regulations supporting low-carbon development that indicate a "politics of possibility" and an appetite for change from key actors across the political spectrum. The challenge ahead is how to mobilize key actors to implement these regulations as quickly as possible.• We find that the enactment of regulations on post-mining landscape reclamation and rehabilitation was associated with well-organized public mobilizations, but coal remains central to East Kalimantan's economy. For oil palm, the government is simultaneously promoting further oil palm development along with high conservation value forest protection -now a policy prescription with widespread support from members of the house of representatives and development partners.• However, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government also seeks to maintain economic growthmeaning the province is unlikely to completely phase out coal mining and/or halt oil palm expansion in the near term.• Clear and consistent policy directions from the national government, in combination with significant new global market signals, are required for more substantial provincial green economy reforms to proceed.

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“…Building such links might constitute a challenge given rising global protectionist, nationalist and authoritarian trends, which are making it more difficult for civil society organizations to legally register, get work permits or access funding in places affected by rising competition over natural resources such as water, food, fuel and land. Where pressures on forests grow for reasons of food, energy and minerals, community-based organizations and individuals protecting forests are also subject to harassment, criminalization and, far too frequently, murder at the intellectual hands of national and subnational elites 71,72 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest-linked livelihoods in a globalized world

et al. 2020

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orests provide essential livelihoods and environmental services. They harbour a disproportionate amount of the world's biodiversity, regulate key aspects of the global carbon cycle and weather patterns, and contribute directly to national incomes and the local livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. Their role in sustainability transitions is re-emphasized by multiple current international sustainability agendas. Forests can be linked to most-if not all-of the Sustainable Development Goals through contributions to ecosystem services, green economic opportunities, and social and environmental justice agendas 1,2. Forests are also essential to the Paris Climate Agreement, 3 the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework 4,5. Further, the Bonn Challenge aims to bring under restoration 350 Mha of degraded lands globally by 2030, and the New York Declaration on Forests identifies 10 specific global forest goals 6. Forests are a key mechanism for mitigating climate change through forest protection, restoration and afforestation 7,8. This prominent attention to forests, especially in human-dominated tropical and subtropical regions, creates a need for a comprehensive policy-oriented research agenda. Research on forests and livelihoods has typically focused on trying to understand how household-or community-level dynamics, including rights to resources and land-use decisions, affect local livelihoods and forests 9. However, new research on forests demonstrates the importance of links between human and natural systems at regional, inter-continental and global scales 10. For example, demand for commodity crops in Europe, North America and emerging economies is driving environmental degradation in the Amazon, Congo Basin and Indonesian peatlands 11. In turn, smoke from forest and peat fires in Indonesia affects human health in Southeast Asian countries 12. Identifying and understanding large-scale processes linked to forests and livelihoods with disproportionate effects on

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Political ecologies of the post-mining landscape: Activism, resistance, and legal struggles over Kalimantan's coal mines

Cited by 55 publications

References 49 publications

Global declines in human‐driven mangrove loss

Global declines in human‐driven mangrove loss

The politics of the green economy in provincial Indonesia: Insights from coal and oil palm sector reforms in East Kalimantan

Forest-linked livelihoods in a globalized world

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