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Indonesia’s Massive Metals Build-out Is Felling the Forest for Batteries

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ASEAN Beat | Environment | Southeast Asia

Indonesia’s Massive Metals Build-out Is Felling the Forest for Batteries

Where developers build Indonesia’s vast nickel-processing plants, surrounding forest disappears twice as fast: “The damage to the environment is devastating.”

Indonesia’s Massive Metals Build-out Is Felling the Forest for Batteries

Motorists ride past Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park’s compound in Central Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia, June 8, 2024.

Credit: AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim

On a steep trek up to his forest farm on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, Librek Loha let out a cry of dismay. “Aduuuuh,” he said, his voice trailing off.

“Landslides, again. They happen all the time now.”

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