In Indonesia’s mineral-rich archipelago, the global rush for “green” energy is leaving behind a trail of human and environmental harm.

As demand for electric vehicles rises, Indonesia has become the world’s top nickel producer. This metal, vital for batteries, places regions like Halmahera, Morowali, and North Konawe at the center of the global supply chain. But while multinationals profit, the burden is carried by Indigenous peoples, fishermen, and low-paid workers.

In North Maluku’s forests, the Hongana Manyawa—one of Indonesia’s last nomadic Indigenous groups—are being pushed out by the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP), a massive nickel smelter backed by foreign investors. Once-lush forests have been cleared for roads and factories. Rivers have turned murky. Hunting trails now lead to fences and excavated pits. Some families flee deeper into the forest, but even there, the roar of machines drowns out nature.

In March 2024, the UN urged Indonesia to halt mining in Halmahera, citing environmental and human rights concerns. Still, IWIP grows, backed by global demand and billions in investment.