Indonesia lost more forest to mining over the past two decades than any other country in the tropics and coal mining in East Kalimantan (on Borneo Island) was the main problem, according to a study by researchers from Vienna University of Economics and Business, which assessed data from 26 countries and said 1,901 square kilometres of tree cover was lost – more than half of all forest loss by mining, according to a report by the China Dialogue news site.
Environmentalists have voiced concern because the government of Joko Widodo extended coal permits for a further 10 years to some of the country’s biggest coal producers in April 2020, which led to lead to a 135% increase in coal exports from Kalimantan in 2021, the report said, adding that construction of the new national capital in Kalimantan could also cause large-scale land clearing.
Read the full report: China Dialogue.
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