Nickel’s return to the conversation
The story comes as Raja Ampat remains at the centre of a debate over nickel mining.
Nickel, used primarily in stainless steel and increasingly in some electric vehicle batteries, has become a major commodity for Indonesia. The country’s nickel mine production rose from about 130,000 metric tons in 2015 to 2.2 million metric tons in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey, making Indonesia by far the world’s largest producer.
Most of Indonesia’s nickel mining is concentrated in Sulawesi and North Maluku. But several islands in Raja Ampat have also been targeted for mining.
Public concern over nickel mining in Raja Ampat erupted in 2025 after images of forest clearing and environmental damage were widely shared on social media. The backlash prompted the government to suspend mining operations and later revoke four of the region’s five nickel mining permits.
The remaining operation, the state-owned PT Gag Nikel, continues to mine on Gag Island.
Greenpeace says the government actions have not eliminated the threat of future mining in the archipelago.
Its latest research identifies two companies seeking to develop nickel projects in eastern Waigeo, Raja Ampat’s largest island, and another company seeking a coal permit in Misool.
Greenpeace had initially described three companies as pursuing nickel projects but issued a clarification in August 2026 saying that one of the three was actually seeking a coal permit.
Waigeo is home to endemic wildlife including Wilson’s bird-of-paradise (Cicinnurus respublica), the Waigeo brushturkey (Aepypodius bruijnii) and the Waigeo spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis).
Residents of Arborek say they are concerned that mining elsewhere in Raja Ampat could affect the waters and ecosystems on which communities across the archipelago depend.
Benoni Watem, a 43-year-old resident of Arborek and an owner of a homestay business, said he firmly rejects mining in Raja Ampat, because it could harm the beauty of the ecosystem, which is one of the main reasons why tourists come to the region.
Arborek is the closest village to the famed Manta dive and snorkeling sites.
“The beauty of Raja Ampat is what brings tourists here. But if mining comes in, the environment that we have protected will be damaged by mining, and then the beauty will disappear,” Benoni said.
He’s worried that waste from mining will end up in the ocean and ultimately kill marine life, such as manta rays — the largest species of all rays that are threatened with extinction due to their slow reproductive rates and large number of threats.
“Manta rays might become uncomfortable. If waste enters the sea, their food will disappear,” Benoni said. “When there are manta rays, guests get excited and happy.”
The concern is not only for wildlife.
George Mentansan, an anthropologist who spoke at the Arborek gathering, said environmental damage could also threaten the cultural diversity of Raja Ampat. Indigenous communities have developed their own systems for managing natural resources, including ecological calendars, areas protected by customary rules and restrictions on catching certain marine species.
Children’s stories
Titah and Sekar had begun developing the children’s project two years ago, building on an earlier series of five books about climate litigation, forests in Indonesia and the struggle of the Awyu Indigenous people.
Their hope is that the children will eventually be able to tell stories about their own homes.
The children who listened to the book in Arborek already had plenty to say.
After Titah and Sekar finished reading, they asked whether there were islands in Raja Ampat that had been damaged.
“Yes,” the children answered.
“Why were they damaged?”
“They were mined.”
The children also knew that protecting Raja Ampat would require collective action.
In the book, Pin cannot stop the mining ship on her own. She needs help from people from other islands.
“If the mining comes again, what should we do?” Titah asked the children.
“We have to protect Raja Ampat together,” they responded.
The answer echoed the broader message of the gathering taking place around them: That protecting Raja Ampat’s environment and culture is not something that can be left to one community or one generation alone.
And for Titah and Sekar, the children’s own knowledge is part of that effort.
They hope that seeing their home, animals and stories represented in a book will encourage the children to tell more stories of their own.
“Most of the children understand,” Titah said. “They have so much knowledge.”
This story was published with permission from Mongabay.com.
