Striking images captured by a drone, released by environmental campaigners, appear to show how nickel mining has stripped forests and polluted waters in one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on the planet.

The Raja Ampat archipelago – a cluster of small islands in Indonesia’s Southwest Papua Province – has been described as the “Amazon of the Seas”.

However, nickel mining – which supplies a key component for electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel – has intensified in the region in recent years, according to the organisation Global Witness.

In a move welcomed by campaigners, the Indonesian government last month revoked the permits of four out of five mining companies operating in the area.

Phot by Global Witness

In a statement published online, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment said: “Raja Ampat’s biodiversity is a world heritage that must be protected.”

“We pay great attention to mining activities that occur in the area.”

Yet photographs taken by Global Witness as part of an investigation appear to reveal environmental damage already inflicted.

Aerial images show deforestation and sediment run-off into waters that support rich and diverse coral reefs.

Global Witness stated that land used for mining across multiple small islands in the archipelago expanded by 500 hectares – roughly equivalent to 700 football pitches – between 2020 and 2024.

Some conservation groups, including the organisation Greenpeace, have raised concerns that the government’s decision could be overturned through legal action brought by the mining companies.

One company operating on Gag Island – which contains particularly rich nickel deposits – has been permitted to continue its activities. The government has said it will order “restoration of the ecological impacts that occur” there.

Coral reef conservationist and ecologist Dr Mark Erdmann said he was “blown away, and so happy” about the government’s decision to revoke the permits.

“This is the global epicentre of marine biodiversity,” he said.

Dr Erdmann has worked in Raja Ampat for over twenty years and helped establish the marine protected areas network there. He is also one of the founders of Reshark, a shark rewilding initiative based in the region.

He added: “It was a voice of outrage from the Indonesian people that made the government pay attention.”

However, this ecological controversy highlights the broader environmental cost of meeting the growing demand for metals needed to power battery technologies – such as those used in electric vehicles and other low-carbon energy solutions.

Indonesia now produces more than half of the world’s nickel, according to a report last year by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Although the beauty and biodiversity of Raja Ampat have drawn attention to mining activities in the area, similar environmental impacts have been observed elsewhere.

A 2024 study by Forest Watch Indonesia found a link between deforestation associated with mining and increased local flooding and landslides.

The rising demand for so-called critical minerals is influencing economic policy globally. It was the impetus behind President Trump’s recent executive order to initiate deep-sea mining of metallic nodules in international waters – a move China has condemned as illegal.

Dr Erdmann noted that balancing economic development with environmental protection poses a particular challenge for Indonesia.

Dr Michaela Guo Ying Lo, of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent, led  a study in 2024 into the impact of mining on communities in Sulawesi – the large Indonesian island that contains most of the country’s nickel reserves.

The research indicated that while mining slightly alleviated poverty, it led to a significant “deterioration in environmental well-being”, including increased local water and air pollution.

“Indonesia is positioning itself globally in the nickel market,” Dr Lo said. “But it’s important not to forget what’s happening locally.”

Imam Shofwan, an environmental campaigner from an organisation called Jatam, based in Jakarta, said: “They say nickel is a solution to the climate crisis. But it’s causing deforestation and destroying farmland.”

He also observed that low-lying coastal areas – where many nickel deposits are located – are among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels.

Dr Erdmann commented: “The nickel dilemma is a horrible one.

“Mining is always going to be environmentally impactful and we all tend to think that electrification is a good idea. But what is the acceptable damage that we’re willing to see?”

The Indonesian government was contacted for comment but did not respond.

 

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