Impacts on places (the natural environment)
Tin mining on Bangka Island and Belitung Island has a large negative effect on the natural environment, destroying the landscape and vegetation on the islands, and changing the condition of the seas surrounding Bangka and Belitung. These effects are closely related to the cultural environment of the Bangka and Belitung islands, as they affect the people living there.
The mining of tin has resulted in damage of Bangka and Belitung’s landscapes. Pits that have been dug to excavate ore are found all over the land and beaches of the two islands, making the land barren. Indonesian law requires all mining companies to fill holes that are created as a result of mining and restore any vegetation impacted, but because many mines are illegal they do not follow any regulations. Soil that has had the ore and vegetation removed from it has become dry and grey-coloured, and infertile. The holes on the islands make it unpleasant for the people and animals of Bangka and Belitung to live on and make the land difficult to use in other ways by the natural and cultural environment. Rainwater that has collected in abandoned mining pits over time has become breeding grounds for pests including mosquitoes, which may be the cause of an increase in malaria infecting the people living on Bangka Island and Belitung Island. Repairing Bangka and Belitung’s landscape can be done within a fairly short time; but the impacts it brings upon the rest of the natural environment have a slower healing process.
Tin mining waste consists of silt that pollutes water and therefore negatively affects its quality. The sea surrounding Bangka and Belitung is famed for its clarity and colour, making them popular tourist destinations. As tin mine pits dug in water have become more common over the past few years as tin becomes harder to find, the alluvium that is tunneled through has floated up through the water, making it unsightly and clouded with a greyish brown colour. The visual appearance of the water is not the only thing that has changed. Being contaminated with dirt, gravel and sand, the water has become unsafe for uses by the people of Bangka and Belitung. The marine life in the water has also suffered, with fish no longer being present closer to shore as the muddy water is not ideal for them to live in. This has made it harder for the people of Bangka and Belitung to fish for a living, when it used to be one of the most important industries to the islands. Water pollution is not an easy problem to fix and is likely a long-term issue for Bangka and Belitung.
Vegetation on Bangka Island and Belitung Island has been affected badly as a consequence of tin mining. To make room for pits, dozens of trees have been cut down and other smaller plants have been stripped from soil. The loss of vegetation, particularly mangroves, makes the islands more vulnerable to being flooded and affected by storms. Islands are quite fragile and the decrease of vegetation on their surfaces for replacement with craters reduces the strength of the soil, making them unsafe for the cultural environment to live on. Vegetation loss also detracts in availability of habitats for animals and other organisms to live in, along with the local climate and cultural history. Because of this, the people of the Indonesian government have made it clear that some forests must be protected and cannot be cut down. However, illegal mining has disregarded this and proceeded to overturn land within the forests, and cutting down the protected vegetation to do so. Over the period of 2001 to 2014, 10% of the forests on Belitung Island have been destroyed, an impact that will take years to resolve on an island that seems unlikely to cease its uncontrollable tin mining any time soon.
Bangka and Belitung Island tin mining has taken a negative toll on the animals and organisms living on and around the islands as well. The forests and land that has been overturned to make way for cassiterite extraction is home to wild animals, such as the Tarsius bancanus, a rare primate that is native to Indonesia and the region of the Bangka Belitung Islands. Out on the water around the islands, the tin mining boats release waste silt into the water, which has killed off coral and reduced fish numbers. This is a loss in biodiversity of the region and can have multiple negative effects on the local ecosystem that can take an extensive time to correct.
Tin mining on Bangka Island and Belitung Island has a large negative effect on the natural environment, destroying the landscape and vegetation on the islands, and changing the condition of the seas surrounding Bangka and Belitung. These effects are closely related to the cultural environment of the Bangka and Belitung islands, as they affect the people living there.
The mining of tin has resulted in damage of Bangka and Belitung’s landscapes. Pits that have been dug to excavate ore are found all over the land and beaches of the two islands, making the land barren. Indonesian law requires all mining companies to fill holes that are created as a result of mining and restore any vegetation impacted, but because many mines are illegal they do not follow any regulations. Soil that has had the ore and vegetation removed from it has become dry and grey-coloured, and infertile. The holes on the islands make it unpleasant for the people and animals of Bangka and Belitung to live on and make the land difficult to use in other ways by the natural and cultural environment. Rainwater that has collected in abandoned mining pits over time has become breeding grounds for pests including mosquitoes, which may be the cause of an increase in malaria infecting the people living on Bangka Island and Belitung Island. Repairing Bangka and Belitung’s landscape can be done within a fairly short time; but the impacts it brings upon the rest of the natural environment have a slower healing process.
Tin mining waste consists of silt that pollutes water and therefore negatively affects its quality. The sea surrounding Bangka and Belitung is famed for its clarity and colour, making them popular tourist destinations. As tin mine pits dug in water have become more common over the past few years as tin becomes harder to find, the alluvium that is tunneled through has floated up through the water, making it unsightly and clouded with a greyish brown colour. The visual appearance of the water is not the only thing that has changed. Being contaminated with dirt, gravel and sand, the water has become unsafe for uses by the people of Bangka and Belitung. The marine life in the water has also suffered, with fish no longer being present closer to shore as the muddy water is not ideal for them to live in. This has made it harder for the people of Bangka and Belitung to fish for a living, when it used to be one of the most important industries to the islands. Water pollution is not an easy problem to fix and is likely a long-term issue for Bangka and Belitung.
Vegetation on Bangka Island and Belitung Island has been affected badly as a consequence of tin mining. To make room for pits, dozens of trees have been cut down and other smaller plants have been stripped from soil. The loss of vegetation, particularly mangroves, makes the islands more vulnerable to being flooded and affected by storms. Islands are quite fragile and the decrease of vegetation on their surfaces for replacement with craters reduces the strength of the soil, making them unsafe for the cultural environment to live on. Vegetation loss also detracts in availability of habitats for animals and other organisms to live in, along with the local climate and cultural history. Because of this, the people of the Indonesian government have made it clear that some forests must be protected and cannot be cut down. However, illegal mining has disregarded this and proceeded to overturn land within the forests, and cutting down the protected vegetation to do so. Over the period of 2001 to 2014, 10% of the forests on Belitung Island have been destroyed, an impact that will take years to resolve on an island that seems unlikely to cease its uncontrollable tin mining any time soon.
Bangka and Belitung Island tin mining has taken a negative toll on the animals and organisms living on and around the islands as well. The forests and land that has been overturned to make way for cassiterite extraction is home to wild animals, such as the Tarsius bancanus, a rare primate that is native to Indonesia and the region of the Bangka Belitung Islands. Out on the water around the islands, the tin mining boats release waste silt into the water, which has killed off coral and reduced fish numbers. This is a loss in biodiversity of the region and can have multiple negative effects on the local ecosystem that can take an extensive time to correct.
