12/03/2022
Historically, most of East Kalimantan was forested, but today very little of that primary forest remains. Mining happens on various landscapes, including selectively logged forest, grasslands, and industrial timber plantations. This begs the question: must the mining companies return the land to the state before mining or return it to the native forest? In some cases, the land is classified for conversion to industrial timber plantations after mining, so what is the use in returning abandoned mines to their “original condition” first? And when the land is not classified for conversion to plantations, the law states that mining companies should negotiate with local stakeholders to determine the target of rehabilitation. What if local stakeholders do not want to restore the original condition?
