Statement in Response to Tragic Mudslide in Batang Toru, Indonesia

Mighty Earth responds to fatal mudslides at the Batang Toru hydroelectric dam site in Indonesia, calling for a moratorium on development. The organization highlights warnings about landslide risks due to terrain and rainfall, the project's threat to the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan, and the withdrawal of major international financiers.

• Mudslides at the Batang Toru hydroelectric dam site resulted in at least 13 people killed or missing initially, with a later update stating a total of 15 people killed over a six-month period, including foreign workers.
• The project site was identified as being at medium to high risk of landslides due to poor drainage, hilly terrain, and high rainfall, and it is located near a fault line prone to earthquakes.
• The dam construction threatens the Tapanuli orangutan, the world's most endangered great ape with a population of only 800, by bisecting its habitat.
• Several major financial institutions have distanced themselves from the project, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Goldman Sachs, and the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank, while the Bank of China suspended involvement for a review.
• The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) has filed a lawsuit alleging that the environmental impact assessment by PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE) ignored endangered species, downstream communities, and potential ecological disasters.

APA

Hurowitz, A., & Gaol, R. L. (2021). Statement in Response to Tragic Mudslide in Batang Toru, Indonesia. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/id/article/statement-in-response-to-tragic-mudslide-in-batang-toru-indonesia/

Chicago

Hurowitz, Amanda, and Roy Lumban Gaol. Statement in Response to Tragic Mudslide in Batang Toru, Indonesia. Mighty Earth, 2021. https://mightyearth.org/id/article/statement-in-response-to-tragic-mudslide-in-batang-toru-indonesia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Hurowitz |first1=Amanda |last2=Gaol |first2=Roy Lumban |title=Statement in Response to Tragic Mudslide in Batang Toru, Indonesia |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=3 May 2021 |url=https://mightyearth.org/id/article/statement-in-response-to-tragic-mudslide-in-batang-toru-indonesia/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{hurowitz2021statement, author = {Hurowitz, Amanda and Gaol, Roy Lumban}, title = {{Statement in Response to Tragic Mudslide in Batang Toru, Indonesia}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://mightyearth.org/id/article/statement-in-response-to-tragic-mudslide-in-batang-toru-indonesia/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }