The Endangered Tapanuli Orangutan Loses an Ally

Mighty Earth opposes the construction of a US$ 1.6 billion hydroelectric dam in Indonesia's Batang Toru ecosystem, asserting that the project threatens the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan. The organization specifically condemns a recent agreement between the dam company, NSHE, and the Swiss organization PanEco, which PanEco had previously identified the dam as the 'greatest threat' to the species. Mighty Earth suggests that expanding the Sarulla Geothermal Plant would provide more zero-carbon electricity without endangering the orangutan population.

• A planned US$ 1.6 billion hydroelectric dam project is described as an 'existential threat' to the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo Tapanuliensis), a species declared Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• The dam is planned for a location with nearly three times the average density of Tapanuli orangutans found in the Batang Toru ecosystem, with approximately 10% of the species residing in the affected area.
• Mighty Earth characterizes the memorandum of understanding between the dam company NSHE and the Swiss organization PanEco as 'greenwashing', noting that PanEco had previously stated the dam was the 'greatest threat to the long-term future of the Tapanuli orangutan'.
• The document asserts that the dam is unnecessary because the expansion of the nearby Sarulla Geothermal Plant could provide more zero-carbon electricity without threatening the Tapanuli orangutan.
• A 2018 biology journal article suggests the project should be cancelled, as it would alter at least 8% (96 km²) of high-quality orangutan habitat by 2022.

APA

Jones, S. (2019). The Endangered Tapanuli Orangutan Loses an Ally. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/the-endangered-batang-toru-ecosystem/

Chicago

Jones, Sydney. The Endangered Tapanuli Orangutan Loses an Ally. Mighty Earth, 2019. https://mightyearth.org/article/the-endangered-batang-toru-ecosystem/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Sydney |title=The Endangered Tapanuli Orangutan Loses an Ally |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=11 September 2019 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/the-endangered-batang-toru-ecosystem/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2019endangered, author = {Jones, Sydney}, title = {{The Endangered Tapanuli Orangutan Loses an Ally}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/the-endangered-batang-toru-ecosystem/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }