Plantations enabling mines: Incremental industrial extraction, social differentiation and livelihood change in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Who are the future farmers? Media representations of youth in agriculture, food security and ‘modern’ farming in Indonesia

“…This creates a problem as it results in ineffective programming that may support more privileged rural youth already benefitting from technology and other innovations, ultimately leaving behind the rural poor most in need of support. Indeed, the productivist‐oriented strategies that favour expanding large‐scale, industrial forms of agriculture favoured by Indonesia's MoA may contribute to the very factors that drive youth from agriculture, or limit their entry, including land shortages and downstream externalities affecting farmers adjacent to industrial concessions (Toumbourou et al ., 2022).…”

Patterns of infringement, risk, and impact driven by coal mining permits in Indonesia

“…Village leaders explained that significant portions of the population residing in these villages are transmigrant farmers from Java and Bali, who settled the area between 1979 to 1982, establishing water-intensive padi rice farms that rely on streams and waterways for irrigation. Interviews with farmers revealed that coal mines that caused upstream water flows had been cut off, and tailings and acidic water in waterways had significantly reduced rice and crop yields (see Toumbourou et al 2020a , b ).…”

“…Yet, there are strong indications that conflicts, environmental impacts, and human safety challenges posed by coal mining in East Kalimantan will persist and, most likely, increase. These indications include that: (1) a large portion of the province still remains open for further coal operations, (2) coal mining remains central to the national government’s economic development and energy policy plans 2 (Government of Indonesia 2011 ), (3) recent changes in federal mining legislation have sought to remove red tape and increase existing permit areas (Toumbourou et al 2020a ), and (4) following increasing issues of flooding/inundation in Jakarta, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo announced plans to develop a new national capital city, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan, which has already begun construction (Henschke and Utama 2020 ; Lechner et al 2022 ). Combined, these factors suggest increased risk of land use conflicts and safety hazards, as greater populations will reside in proximity to hazardous mine sites that are themselves expanding.…”

“…As such, an in-depth understanding of geographical patterns associated with coal mining has been lacking. In past work (Toumbourou et al 2020a ), we analysed the political economy dynamics surrounding coal mining in East Kalimantan, including flaws in sub-national regulations governing coal, extensive networks connecting political actors, miners and para-military organisations that inhibit public scrutiny and reform efforts, and opaque coal mining licensing processes, that has given rise to the emergence of hazardous water-filled mining pits and conflict. However, we noted that the spread of these issues and their spatial relationships remained largely unexplored.…”

Creating Empowerment Communication Model: Case Study Of Community Dialogue Process

“…Addressing these challenges requires effective communication strategies that empower indigenous peoples to assert their rights, advocate for equitable resource-sharing agreements, and ensure the preservation of their cultural heritage in the face of mining operations. These complex dynamics underscore increased public engagement, respectful dialogue, and fair negotiations in mining and resource management (Tarjo et al, 2022;Toumbourou et al, 2022).…”