US EditionIndonesia Promises Action on Deforestation as Sumatra Flooding Toll Rises
Eight companies linked to deforestation and mining are under investigation following floods that killed over 700 people and displaced 1.2 million in Sumatra, officials said.
- JAKARTA, Dec 4- Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said Indonesia will revoke mining permits if companies are found to have violated rules and he will review permits of suspected firms.
- Analysts point to large-scale land clearing and extractive permits as Indonesian environmental activists say Sumatra island lost 4.4 million hectares of forest since 2001, with mining permits covering almost 2.5 million hectares, according to David Gaveau and Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry data.
- The Environment Ministry opened probes into thousands of logs swept ashore, noting origins remain unclear and could stem from decayed trees, legal logging, incomplete clearing, or illegal felling, while images sparked social-media outrage.
- Cyclone-Induced floods and landslides have left about 800 dead and 564 missing across West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh, displacing more than 1.2 million and blocking roads, hampering aid.
- The Mining Advocacy Network urged scrutiny of licensed projects, noting PT Agincourt Resources operates in the Batang Toru river basin, while companies called linking operations to floods premature.
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Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayIndonesia weighs mining curbs after 800 die in Sumatra floods as deforestation row flares
JAKARTA, Dec 4 — Indonesia will revoke mining permits if companies are found to have violated rules on flood-ravaged Sumatra island, the energy minister said as questions intensified about the role of deforestation in worsening the deadly disaster. Cyclone-induced floods and landslides have left about 800 dead and 564 missing across the three provinces of West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh, according to government data. The cyclone systems hav…
Palm oil and mining blamed for cyclone devastation in Sumatra
Indonesia's government says it will summon eight companies over their suspected role in worsening the scale of floods and landslides that have killed more than 700 people. But environmental groups say authorities are hypocritical and partly to blame for the destruction.
On the other hand, Bahlil confirmed that he would impose strict sanctions on companies holding mining business permits (IUP) that violate the regulations.
Sumatra Floods & Mining: Can Indonesia Prevent Environmental Mismanagement After the 2025 Disaster?
Caused by rare Cyclone Senyar and several days of intensive rainfall, the 2025 floods in the Sumatra area are among the fatal catastrophes that have taken place in Indonesia since the 2004 tsunami, claiming hundreds of lives and displacing thousands more. Mud walls, logs and debris tore down villages and revealed how weak the landscapes […]
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