Indonesia’s Supreme Court has upheld the government’s decision to block further expansion of the Tanah Merah oil palm project in Papua, preserving a Jakarta-sized swath of primary rainforest.
Although the country treats 67 per cent of its wastewater, it needs to invest in infrastructure maintenance to reduce costs in the long-term, finds a joint report by Economist Impact and Nippon Foundation.
Local Indigenous communities say the mining sites have put their food security at risk, with pollution affecting fruit trees and root vegetables as well as depletion of local fisheries.