Latest news with #AurigaNusantara
Malay Mail
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
US demand for RVs driving deforestation in Indonesia's Borneo, say NGOs
JAKARTA, Aug 21 — Tropical wood demand from some of America's top RV brands is fuelling deforestation on the Indonesian island of Borneo, home to Asia's last great rainforest, according to a new investigation by environmental NGOs. The recreational vehicle industry is now the biggest consumer of tropical wood in the United States, UK-based NGO Earthsight and Indonesian NGO Auriga Nusantara said in a report published late Tuesday. They said evidence showed sheets of tropical 'lauan' plywood found in Indonesia were likely being used in the floors, walls and ceilings of RVs produced by major brands like Jayco, Winnebago and Forest River. 'Nature-loving RV owners will be horrified to learn that their hobby risks destroying rainforests,' said Earthsight director Sam Lawson in a press release. 'America's RV giants need to get out of the 1980s and implement the kinds of minimum sustainability standards other US corporates have had in place for decades.' Indonesia has one of the world's highest rates of deforestation linked to mining, farming and logging, and is accused of allowing firms to operate in Borneo with little oversight. Borneo island has one of the world's largest tracts of rainforest and hosts orangutans, long-nosed monkeys, clouded leopards, pig-tailed macaques, flying fox-bats and the smallest rhinos on the planet. Large tracts of orangutan habitat in Borneo were found to be 'cleared to make way for a plantation of fast-growing timber', the NGOs said. An Indonesian plywood company, PT Kayu Lapis Asli Murni, sourced timber mostly from rainforest in areas the NGOs visited, half of which was then exported to US firms MJB Wood and Tumac Lumber in 2024, they said. MJB Wood is the main lauan plywood supplier to Jayco, while Tumac Lumber supplies companies such as RV parts maker Patrick Industries, 'whose customers include Thor Industries, Forest River and Winnebago', the report said. The NGOs said it meant it was 'almost certain' Indonesian tropical wood was being used in the RV supply chain in the United States. None of the companies mentioned replied to the report's authors when asked for comment, it said. Neither the companies nor the Indonesian environment ministry immediately responded to an AFP request for comment. — AFP
France 24
2 days ago
- Automotive
- France 24
US demand for RVs fuels deforestation on Indonesia's Borneo: NGOs
The recreational vehicle industry is now the biggest consumer of tropical wood in the United States, UK-based NGO Earthsight and Indonesian NGO Auriga Nusantara said in a report published late Tuesday. They said evidence showed sheets of tropical "lauan" plywood found in Indonesia were likely being used in the floors, walls and ceilings of RVs produced by major brands like Jayco, Winnebago and Forest River. "Nature-loving RV owners will be horrified to learn that their hobby risks destroying rainforests," said Earthsight director Sam Lawson in a press release. "America's RV giants need to get out of the 1980s and implement the kinds of minimum sustainability standards other US corporates have had in place for decades." Indonesia has one of the world's highest rates of deforestation linked to mining, farming and logging, and is accused of allowing firms to operate in Borneo with little oversight. Borneo island has one of the world's largest tracts of rainforest and hosts orangutans, long-nosed monkeys, clouded leopards, pig-tailed macaques, flying fox-bats and the smallest rhinos on the planet. Large tracts of orangutan habitat in Borneo were found to be "cleared to make way for a plantation of fast-growing timber", the NGOs said. An Indonesian plywood company, PT Kayu Lapis Asli Murni, sourced timber mostly from rainforest in areas the NGOs visited, half of which was then exported to US firms MJB Wood and Tumac Lumber in 2024, they said. MJB Wood is the main lauan plywood supplier to Jayco, while Tumac Lumber supplies companies such as RV parts maker Patrick Industries, "whose customers include Thor Industries, Forest River and Winnebago", the report said. The NGOs said it meant it was "almost certain" Indonesian tropical wood was being used in the RV supply chain in the United States. None of the companies mentioned replied to the report's authors when asked for comment, it said.
South China Morning Post
09-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
With deforestation rising, is Indonesia missing the forest for the trees?
Published: 12:00pm, 9 Feb 2025 An area of forest more than three times the size of Singapore vanished in Indonesia last year, alarming environmental groups, who have cautioned that deforestation could worsen because of increased mining operations and the government's focus on food and energy self-sufficiency. Indonesia lost 261,575 hectares, or 2,615 sq km (1,010 square miles), of primary and secondary forests in 2024, according to a new report from NGO Auriga Nusantara – exceeding the previous year's losses by more than 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres). Based on satellite image analysis and fieldwork, the report published on January 31 showed most of the forest losses took place in areas that had been opened up for development by the government. East Kalimantan was ranked as the biggest contributor to deforestation at 44,483 hectares (109,920 acres) last year. The Indonesian government has criticised the report, saying that it failed to acknowledge Jakarta's significant replanting efforts. An aerial view of buildings under construction at Nusantara, Indonesia's future capital city, in East Kalimantan. Photo: AFP Indonesia has one of the highest rates of deforestation globally due to mining, farming and logging activities. According to Global Forest Watch, more than 74 million hectares (183 million acres) of rainforest have been lost in Indonesia since 1950, driven by the palm oil, paper and rubber industries.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indonesia deforestation rose again in 2024: NGO
Deforestation in Indonesia rose again last year, a local environmental NGO said Friday based on satellite image analysis and fieldwork. Indonesia has one of the world's highest rates of deforestation, with key drivers including timber plantations, palm oil cultivation and, increasingly, the mining of critical minerals. Its rainforests are some of the world's most biodiverse and provide critical habitats for threatened and endangered species, and are key carbon sinks. The report from NGO Auriga Nusantara said 261,575 hectares of primary and secondary forests across Indonesia were lost in 2024, over four thousand more than the previous year. It is the third year running that deforestation has increased, the group said, with the vast majority of losses taking place in areas opened for development by the government. "It is worrying, as it shows the increase of legal deforestation," said Auriga Nusantara's chair Timer Manurung. He called for "urgent" protection of forest in Kalimantan, where the highest losses were recorded as the country's new capital is built, and in Sulawesi. The report comes as Indonesian environmentalists raise alarm over government plans to convert millions of hectares of forests for food and energy use. President Prabowo Subianto, who assumed office in October, has pledged to boost food and energy self-sufficiency, including by expanding bio-based fuels to lower fuel imports. Environmental groups warn the plans would spell disaster for the country's forests. "We ask President Prabowo to issue a presidential regulation to protect all remaining natural forest," Timer told AFP. The report is based on satellite imagery, which was analysed to confirm deforestation, and followed up with field visits to areas representing tens of thousands of hectares of forest loss, Auriga Nusantara said. While deforestation occurred in all of Indonesia's provinces except the region around Jakarta, the biggest losses were seen in Kalimantan. One driver in the region has been the designation of an area for the new capital, the report said. Two regional governments in the area have proposed opening up hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest to potential development, the group warned. Most deforestation however was driven by commodities, including timber, mining and palm oil. Officials at Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government has previously disputed deforestation claims made by environmentalists, and said estimates overstate forest loss by miscounting changes in plantations as deforestation. Auriga Nusantara said its count excluded loss in timber plantations and plantation forest, but does cover both primary forests and regenerated "secondary" forest. The report also sounds the alarm on deforestation for biomass production, which has seen forest levelled to plant quick-growing species that will provide wood biomass. Indonesia is keen to boost domestic use of biomass energy and export, particularly to Japan and South Korea. The group said about 42 million hectares of Indonesia's natural forests are unprotected by law, including millions of hectares already inside concessions. While the amount of forest loss has risen in recent years, it is still down sharply from a peak around 2016. bur-sah/lb
The Hill
31-01-2025
- General
- The Hill
Experts and advocates warn of nickel mining's risk to precious marine region of Indonesia
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — One of Earth's most biodiverse marine regions is threatened by the expansion of nickel mining projects in Indonesia, according to a new report. Satellite analysis and on-the-ground visits found a rapid increase in land given over to mining pits in Raja Ampat Regency, a group of tropical islands near West Papua, according to the report from Auriga Nusantara, an environmental and conservation organization in Indonesia. A few degrees south of the equator, the islands are home to 75% of the world's coral species and over 1,600 fish species, including critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles and vulnerable reef manta rays. The regency has at least nine marine protected areas spread over nearly 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres), and was named a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2023, recognizing the international value of its geological heritage. Much of the materials mined in Indonesia fuel the international supply chain for stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries and more. Experts fear that continued expansion of mining — which more than tripled in the area the past five years — will lead to further deforestation, water pollution and disruption of the area's precious ecosystem. Auriga Nusantara's report found that land used for mining in Raja Ampat grew by about 494 hectares (about 1,220 acres) from 2020 through 2024. That was about three times the rate of expansion from the previous five years. The total permit area for mining in Raja Ampat — all for nickel — is more than 22,420 hectares, or about 55,400 acres. Felled trees and open pits of orange-brown gravel and earth scar the islands where mining has started, according to Auriga Nusantara. Sediment from the mines could also be seen along the islands' coasts as it was carried away by the ocean's current. 'As long as the nickel mining continues to operate, the sediment will destroy coral and its surrounding ocean ecosystem,' said Timer Manurung, the director of Auriga Nusantara. 'It's really a threat for Raja Ampat, as the archipelago is known for ocean biodiversity and richness that makes it an international tourism destination.' With the world's largest known nickel reserves and rich deposits of cobalt, bauxite and other materials, Indonesia has been experiencing a mining boom on demand for stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries and more that are needed for the global energy transition. The island nation has sought to expand its mining and processing capabilities while facing backlash from international and local watchdogs for various environmental concerns. New mining pits were located on at least four islands in the regency, according to the report. One island where mining has occurred is located within the UNESCO Global Geopark area. Experts fear the expansion of mining in Raja Ampat could have a disastrous impact on the rich marine ecosystem. 'Sedimentation, or the waste runoff generated from the mining on land that flows into the water, devastates downstream marine ecosystems,' said Victor Nikijuluw, a program advisor for Indonesia-based environmental organization Konservasi Indonesia, in recent written responses to questions from The Associated Press. 'This muddy flow from mining clouds, waters, smothers coral reefs, displaces the animals that can leave the area, and generally endangers the nature that local biodiversity and communities depend on.' The diverse natural landscape and world-class diving destination has become a growing tourism draw for Indonesia: In 2023 the area drew over 19,800 tourists, more than three times the number that visited in 2022, according to Indonesia's Central Bureau of Statistics. Local communities who rely on the area for their local livelihoods — including subsistence fishing for food and tourism-related activities for income — have said they've noticed decreased water quality since mining began, said marine ecologist Edy Setyawan, who works in Raja Ampat. 'They've seen the water get murkier and murkier,' he told AP. The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association expressed concerns about the expansion of nickel mining in Raja Ampat last year. Despite a March 2024 ruling by Indonesia's constitutional court that small islands require special protection from abnormally dangerous activities — including mining — as they threaten ecosystems in vulnerable areas, mining continues to have a devastating impact on communities. In a December 2024 written response to AP questions on why small islands were still being mined in Indonesia, Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said there is a 'critical need for rigorous environmental impact assessments and sustainable development practices' for small islands. The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about mining in Raja Ampat. The UNESCO Global Geopark did not respond to a request for comment from AP. Despite the court ruling, Indonesia's government is still issuing mining permits for small islands, said Sayyidatiihayaa Afra, a researcher at Satya Bumi, a nonprofit environmental organization based in Indonesia. 'The energy transition — including nickel mining — should not ignore environmental regulations,' she said. 'Otherwise it's neither just or sustainable.' The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. 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