Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan Threatened by Mining and Palm Oil Concessions

Kutai National Park (Taman Nasional Kutai, TNK) in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, is facing a severe crisis due to mining and palm oil concessions. This national park, once a habitat for diverse wildlife, is experiencing environmental degradation from development, raising concerns about biodiversity loss. Unding (pseudonym), a former employee of a local coal mining company, recounted his experience working in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, around 2018-2019. During that time, he frequently encountered wildlife such as orangutans, sambar deer, and hornbills. The coal mining company where he worked was adjacent to Kutai National Park and held mining concessions spanning 24,391 hectares, with 19,391 hectares falling within the park's conservation area. The company had obtained production permits since 2017 and had already opened two mining pits. However, data from the Ministry of Forestry in 2020 indicates that this area is home to rich biodiversity, including hornbills, the Kalimantan endemic Black-browed Barbet, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, reptiles, butterflies, and clouded leopards. A recent site visit in February revealed that the areas overlapping with the national park were densely covered with oil palm plantations. The fronds of the oil palms stretched out, visible for several kilometers. Vehicles were parked there, ready to transport fresh fruit bunches (TBS) of palm oil, and signs of illegal logging and land clearing were also evident. According to residents, these land clearings were not for mining but for oil palm cultivation. This situation contradicts the objective of national park conservation and highlights the tension between development and preservation. The reality of national park boundaries being encroached upon for economic activities is starkly revealed.