Danny Marks, assistant professor of environmental politics and policy at Dublin City University, said mining still faces significant environmental challenges.
He cited decades of unregulated tin mining in the Bangka-Belitung islands, off the southeast coast of Sumatra island, that has destroyed forests and coral reefs, leaving piles of white tailings, large craters and acidic, turquoise lakes.
“Indonesia should heed the lessons from its tin mining experiences which caused numerous deaths due to mining accidents, was linked to child labour, and permanently scarred the island of Bangka’s landscape,” Marks said in an interview.
“EV companies do not want their supply chains to be similarly tainted,” he said. “The Indonesian government must immediately strengthen their environmental safeguards so similar problems won’t arise from nickel mining.”
