Nickel extraction on Indonesia’s Kabaena Island has degraded forests, polluted seas and disrupted Bajau Indigenous livelihoods, according to a new report linking the mines to global electric vehicle supply chains.
Hans Nicholas Jong reports for Mongabay.
In short:
- Mining operations have stripped more than 700 hectares of forest and caused coastal sedimentation that threatens leatherback turtles and endangered macaques.
- Bajau fishers and seaweed farmers report income losses of up to 69%, widespread illness and land seizures without compensation or consent.
- The report alleges connections between mining firms, political elites and companies supplying Tesla and Ford, while activists face criminal charges and digital attacks.
Key quote:
“Now, I never see children swim in the sea. They’re afraid of contamination.”
— Kasman Amir, Bajau fisherman
Why this matters:
Nickel is essential for electric vehicle batteries, but its extraction often shifts environmental costs onto remote communities. On small islands like Kabaena, mining runoff can turn entire coastlines red with sediment, choking sea grass beds, coral reefs, and turtle nesting sites. Traditional fishing and seaweed farming collapse, forcing families into poverty and migration. These impacts ripple outward: Contamination from heavy metals can linger for decades, entering food chains and harming human health well beyond the mining zone. As demand for “green” metals surges globally, the trade-off between decarbonization and localized ecological collapse poses stark questions for governments and companies seeking to meet climate goals without sacrificing vulnerable populations.
Related: Nickel mining for EVs scars Indonesia’s marine biodiversity hotspot
