Last Updated on May 22, 2026
A new report by the environmental advocacy group Mighty Earth is warning that Indonesia’s booming nickel industry is inflicting severe environmental and health harms on the Indigenous Bajau peoples of Kabaena Island, despite a constitutional court ruling that banned mining on small islands more than a decade ago.
The report, produced with Indonesian organization Satya Bumi, documents what it describes as widespread marine pollution, deforestation and heavy metal contamination linked to nickel extraction on Kabaena, a small island off Southeast Sulawesi.
The Bajau, often referred to as sea nomads because of their centuries-old maritime way of life, have traditionally depended on fishing and coastal ecosystems for survival. The report says those ecosystems are now under growing strain from mining sediment, polluted runoff and coastal degradation.
Researchers have documented elevated levels of metals including cadmium, lead and nickel in seafood, water sources and urine samples collected from residents. Exposure to those metals is associated with kidney and liver damage, neurological disorders, cardiovascular problems, reproductive harms and increased cancer risks.
The report also describes profound cultural impacts on Bajau communities.
“Historically, Bajau children have been taught to swim and dive from as young as two or three years old,” says Mighty Earth. “Now, younger generations are not being taught to swim, as parents are concerned about their children swimming in the polluted water.”
The report cites several child drownings over the years, including one in 2025, linked to low visibility in mining-polluted coastal waters.
Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled in 2014 that mining on small islands violated environmental protections established under the country’s coastal management laws. The ruling prohibited extractive activities on islands smaller than 2,000 square kilometers because of their ecological vulnerability and limited carrying capacity. Kabaena falls within that category.
Yet mining operations have continued across Kabaena for nearly two decades, with at least 14 mining concessions operating on the island.
According to the report, Kabaena is a part of the global electric vehicle supply chain with its nickel likely linked to major global automakers like Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and Toyota.
The report argues that Indonesia’s nickel expansion reflects a broader contradiction in the global green energy transition, where minerals needed for low-carbon technologies are being extracted at high social and ecological cost in Indigenous territories.
Similar concerns have emerged elsewhere in Indonesia’s nickel belt, where environmental groups have warned of deforestation, industrial pollution and community displacement tied to mining and smelting projects.
Among its recommendations, Mighty Earth and its partner organizations are calling for an immediate halt to mining on Kabaena and all small islands in Indonesia. The report urges mining firms and downstream manufacturers to trace their supply chains to the mine level and publicly commit to excluding nickel sourced from ecologically sensitive islands.
The report also calls for urgent health interventions for the Bajau community, including comprehensive medical screenings, long-term healthcare access, mental health services and compensation for environmental and economic losses linked to mining contamination.
In addition, the organizations are demanding cleanup and restoration programs for damaged forests, rivers and coastal waters, as well as stronger enforcement of Indigenous rights, including the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent before any future industrial development.
The report further urges the Indonesian government to revoke mining permits that violate the constitutional ban on small-island mining and to strengthen oversight of waste disposal and environmental compliance in nickel-producing regions.
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