Kertas Posisi Daya Rusak Hilirsisasi Nikel (Final 2)

This position paper by Forum Studi Halmahera (FOSHAL), Trend Asia, and YLBHI details the ecological and social devastation caused by nickel mining and downstream processing (hilirisasi) in North Maluku. It argues that while the province shows high economic growth driven by nickel exports, this is contrasted by rising poverty, severe deforestation, water pollution, and health crises among local populations.

• There is a stark contradiction between North Maluku's economic growth and its poverty levels. While the province's economic growth has exceeded 20%, surpassing the national average, the number of poor residents increased from 79.87 thousand in March 2022 to 83.80 thousand in March 2023.
• Nickel industrialization has caused severe environmental degradation and health issues in the Weda Bay area. PT IWIP's operations are linked to the destruction of nutmeg, clove, and coconut plantations, and a dramatic spike in Acute Respiratory Infection (ISPA) cases in Central Weda, rising from 434 cases in 2021 to 10,579 cases in 2023.
• Industrial operations at PT IWIP have been marked by significant safety failures. Since 2018, there have been four smelter explosions and one fire, resulting in 25 deaths and dozens of burn injuries.
• Nickel mining has devastated local food security and agriculture, particularly in the Subaim-Wasile region of East Halmahera. The area, once a vital food granary, saw rice production drop by over 25,000 tons in the last five years due to PT Indo Bumi Nikel (IBN) and PT Alam Raya Abadi (ARA) operations.
• Small islands in North Maluku are facing total ecological collapse. On Gebe Island, ANTAM's legacy left the land barren and critical; currently, seven nickel Mining Business Licenses (IUP) operate there. On Fau Island, PT Aneka Niaga Prima (ANP) controls 459.66 hectares of a 545-hectare island, threatening critical mangrove ecosystems.
• Marine pollution from nickel mining has contaminated water and biota with heavy metals. Research indicates that seawater in Weda Bay and Buli Bay exceeds quality standards for hexavalent chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu), with fish showing damaged cell and tissue structures.
• On Obi Island, Harita Nickel's operations have led to severe social and health crises. In February 2023, 117 children in Kawasi Village suffered from diarrhea, resulting in two deaths and a declared Extraordinary Occurrence (KLB). Additionally, the company's 'Ecovillage' relocation project is resisted by residents who view it as an attempt to displace them from their ancestral lands.
• Deforestation in North Maluku is heavily linked to nickel concessions. Between 2001 and 2022, Central Halmahera lost 26.1 thousand hectares of tree cover, and East Halmahera lost 56.3 thousand hectares.

APA

Trend Asia (n.d.). Kertas Posisi Daya Rusak Hilirsisasi Nikel (Final 2). https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kertas-Posisi-Daya-Rusak-Hilirsisasi-Nikel-Final-2-compressed.pdf

Chicago

Trend Asia. Kertas Posisi Daya Rusak Hilirsisasi Nikel (Final 2). n.d. https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kertas-Posisi-Daya-Rusak-Hilirsisasi-Nikel-Final-2-compressed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Trend Asia |title=Kertas Posisi Daya Rusak Hilirsisasi Nikel (Final 2) |url=https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kertas-Posisi-Daya-Rusak-Hilirsisasi-Nikel-Final-2-compressed.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{trendasiandkertas, author = {{Trend Asia}}, title = {{Kertas Posisi Daya Rusak Hilirsisasi Nikel (Final 2)}}, institution = {Trend Asia}, url = {https://trendasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kertas-Posisi-Daya-Rusak-Hilirsisasi-Nikel-Final-2-compressed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }