Heavy rains and strong winds battered Bahodopi Sub-district, Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi, on March 17, triggering severe flooding in Lalampu and Labota villages, Indonesia Business Post reported. The disaster collapsed electricity poles, forced residents to evacuate, and raised concerns over environmental degradation.

According to Walhi Central Sulawesi, the floods were not solely due to heavy rainfall but were exacerbated by widespread nickel mining, which has stripped upstream rainforests. The organisation reported 17 active mining permits in Lalampu Village alone.

Government data from May 2024 shows that Bintang Delapan Mineral (BDM), a major ore supplier to the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), holds one of the region’s largest mining concessions, covering 20,765 hectares. Mining operations have spread across multiple villages, accelerating deforestation and reducing environmental resilience.

Walhi Campaign Manager Wandi described the frequent flooding in Morowali as an ecological disaster, warning that unchecked nickel mining expansion is destabilising the environment. Currently, 65 production mining permits (IUPs) cover 155,051 hectares in the region, driven by Indonesia’s industrialisation policy.

Walhi has urged local and national governments to halt new mining projects and reassess existing operations, emphasising the need for a moratorium in mountainous areas. The group also called on the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) to enforce stricter environmental regulations, particularly Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management.

“This is not the first disaster of its kind,” Wandi noted, recalling mudslides in Labota Village in late 2024. He stressed that while nickel mining brings economic gains, its environmental costs must not be ignored.

Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has approved 204 nickel mining work plans for exploration and production, totalling a combined quota of 220.7mn tonnes, according to market participants. A significant portion of these approvals was granted to the Morowali region, while approval rates for other regions, such as Sulawesi and Weda Bay, were notably lower. This disparity could potentially lead to regional shortages of nickel ore.