Land Acquisition Fund: urgent action prevents mining in maleo habitat in Indonesia

The Alliance for the Tompotika Conservation has secured important habitat of the maleo on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi through an urgent land purchase. With support from the Land Acquisition Fund, the local NGO purchased an area of 24 hectares that would otherwise have been bought by a mining company. In Indonesia, mining is a growing threat to wildlife.

Header photo: Beach protected by AlTo on Tompotika. All photos on this page: © Stephanie Broekarts / IUCN NL

Important nature protected

The maleo, a bird species that buries its eggs on sandy beaches, is listed Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Alliance for Tompotika Conservation (AlTo), a partner of IUCN NL in various projects, is committed to save this and other unique species on Tompotika, a peninsula of Indonesia’s Sulawesi.

The 24 hectares that were secured on Tompotika are located in the middle of a corridor connecting multiple maleo habitats. They further expand the reserve protected by AlTo. The new purchase was made possible by financial support from the Land Acquisition Fund, which could be realised at short notice.

Rainforest supporting people and species

The Tompotika rainforest covers about 83,000 hectares. Besides the maleo, it is the home of eight other endemic species. Moreover, the forest is of great importance to the 75,000 people in the area: it stores CO2, purifies water, prevents floods and provides timber, rattan and damar resin.

Poaching, logging and agricultural expansion threaten the habitat of the area’s biodiversity. Thanks to AlTo’s efforts, including strategic land acquisition and working with the inhabitants of the area of Mount Tompotika, the maleo population in the area grew steadily again between 2006 and 2019.

Nickel mining is currently an increasing threat to nature on Tompotika. This metal is used, for example, for stainless steel, but also for the rechargeable batteries of electric cars.

Mining: an increasing threat

Nickel mining is currently an increasing threat to nature on Tompotika. This metal is used, for example, for stainless steel, but also for the rechargeable batteries of electric cars. Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves. Between 2014 and 2022, nickel production in the country grew fourteenfold.

Together with AlTo and other partner organisations, IUCN NL advocates a fair energy transition with the least possible impact on people and nature, both in the Netherlands and in the countries where the raw materials are extracted.