Mining sector engagement

The quest for ‘green’ mining

With Indonesian coal production growing significantly over the last 2 decades, the country has emerged as a major thermal coal producer. For example, in 2003, Indonesia recorded production of 115 million tons, higher than the previous year’s production of 106 million tons. What are the implications of this growth for the Heart of Borneo area?

While both Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) have important coal resources, Kalimantan has higher quality coal deposits. This has attracted many mining operations, including within the proposed Heart of Borneo boundary.

The environmental price of coal

Such levels of production bring economic revenue. But they can also cause considerable environmental damage. For WWF, addressing the threats and opportunities of the mining sector is a vital aspect of effectively protecting and managing the Heart of Borneo area.

Mining companies operating downstream of healthy forest benefit from the environmental services provided. For example, a company that is dependent on a continuous supply of water from a catchment area located within the Heart of Borneo has a vested interest in ensuring that the supply is adequately maintained.

Mining companies can profit in the long-term from these benefits but need to take an active role in mitigating the threats to the ecosystem.

A situation assessment

To ensure a complete and accurate picture of the situation, WWF has collected data on mining operations in Kalimantan to identify:

• the location and extent of mining operations in the Heart of Borneo and
• a scorecard of adherence to standards of  best-practice.
  

The study has shown that in 2006, some mining locations are either within or intersect with the proposed Heart of Borneo area. Several more mines are found to be less than 30 km from the Heart of Borneo area. The highest density of mining activities is in Central Kalimantan province and close to the proposed Heart of Borneo area.

WWF will engage with key mines in the Heart of Borneo to encourage compliance with standards of best practice.