Currently, tin mining on Bangka Island and Belitung Island in Indonesia proves to not be sustainable, whether it is environmentally, economically or socially. Little has been done to protect the natural environment from harm, and the economy of Bangka and Belitung will suffer in future, along with the wellbeing of miners and the population of the two islands.
Why this judgement has been made
The mining of tin by residents and companies has destructed the environment of the Bangka and Belitung Islands. Water and land that was previously clear has been contaminated and cannot be used for other purposes in the cultural environment of Bangka and Belitung. A large amount of vegetation growing on the islands has been removed, affecting local animal habitats and the natural features of the land. These impacts occur during the timeframe that tin mining goes on for in Bangka and Belitung, but because of the weak laws that the Indonesian government enforces around rehabilitation of the natural environment it is harder to them to be reduced, both now and in the future. The supplies of tin that the Bangka and Belitung islands have, at the rate that the ore is being extracted, is projected to finish by 2020, only 5 years away from now. Tin is naturally found on the earth and there are no active processes producing it, so once it is finished, the only source of tin will be products made with the metal. Therefore, tin mining in Bangka and Belitung is not environmentally sustainable as it will eventually run out and the way the natural environment is being used by the cultural environment is impacting it negatively currently and in the future.
Tin mining has provided jobs for people living in Bangka and Belitung, but has not helped ensure their health and security in the future. The unsafe practices followed by many illegal tin miners has meant that an average of 1 person dies per week in a mine, and many more get critically injured, leaving them unable to work. Because of the unlikelihood of them receiving compensation or even guaranteed jobs when an injury happens, tin mining on Bangka and Belitung Island is not beneficial to the workers’ welfare. The destruction of the natural environment has meant that people living in Bangka Island or Belitung Island have little fertile soil to grow their crops for food on or ample access to clean drinking water. At the rate Bangka-Belitung tin mining is progressing, there is no way it will benefit the prosperity of any person living on the two islands in the future, let alone today, hence it is socially unsustainable.
Although tin mining on the Bangka and Belitung islands has contributed large amounts of money to the Indonesian economy, tin is not a renewable resource and therefore the mining of it will not be an income source forever. The damage caused to the environment by illegal miners has made it difficult for other industries such as fishing and agriculture to immediately replace tin mining once tin runs out. Most of the money being earned from tin mining in Bangka and Belitung is not being reinvested in the islands, leaving them with poor infrastructure even after tin mining finishes. This means that the two islands have limited future economic sources and development to support themselves, because of the way that tin mining in Bangka and Belitung is being currently conducted, making it unsustainable economically.
The mining of tin by residents and companies has destructed the environment of the Bangka and Belitung Islands. Water and land that was previously clear has been contaminated and cannot be used for other purposes in the cultural environment of Bangka and Belitung. A large amount of vegetation growing on the islands has been removed, affecting local animal habitats and the natural features of the land. These impacts occur during the timeframe that tin mining goes on for in Bangka and Belitung, but because of the weak laws that the Indonesian government enforces around rehabilitation of the natural environment it is harder to them to be reduced, both now and in the future. The supplies of tin that the Bangka and Belitung islands have, at the rate that the ore is being extracted, is projected to finish by 2020, only 5 years away from now. Tin is naturally found on the earth and there are no active processes producing it, so once it is finished, the only source of tin will be products made with the metal. Therefore, tin mining in Bangka and Belitung is not environmentally sustainable as it will eventually run out and the way the natural environment is being used by the cultural environment is impacting it negatively currently and in the future.
Tin mining has provided jobs for people living in Bangka and Belitung, but has not helped ensure their health and security in the future. The unsafe practices followed by many illegal tin miners has meant that an average of 1 person dies per week in a mine, and many more get critically injured, leaving them unable to work. Because of the unlikelihood of them receiving compensation or even guaranteed jobs when an injury happens, tin mining on Bangka and Belitung Island is not beneficial to the workers’ welfare. The destruction of the natural environment has meant that people living in Bangka Island or Belitung Island have little fertile soil to grow their crops for food on or ample access to clean drinking water. At the rate Bangka-Belitung tin mining is progressing, there is no way it will benefit the prosperity of any person living on the two islands in the future, let alone today, hence it is socially unsustainable.
Although tin mining on the Bangka and Belitung islands has contributed large amounts of money to the Indonesian economy, tin is not a renewable resource and therefore the mining of it will not be an income source forever. The damage caused to the environment by illegal miners has made it difficult for other industries such as fishing and agriculture to immediately replace tin mining once tin runs out. Most of the money being earned from tin mining in Bangka and Belitung is not being reinvested in the islands, leaving them with poor infrastructure even after tin mining finishes. This means that the two islands have limited future economic sources and development to support themselves, because of the way that tin mining in Bangka and Belitung is being currently conducted, making it unsustainable economically.
Actions that have been taken to minimise negative impacts
Although corruption is high, with many illegal tin mine owners paying settlement fees to police to avoid persecution, the local police force of Bangka and Belitung Island has been under increasing pressure to take more action against illegal tin mining, with all the injuries and death arising from the activity.
Developed countries that use most of the tin exported from Bangka and Belitung have found out more recently about the shocking conditions and numerous negative impacts of tin mining on these two islands. Consumer pressure has forced electronics companies such as Samsung and Apple, some of the largest tin users, to investigate their supply chains and sources more closely to ensure they are ethical and sustainable in all areas, and numerous other electronics companies have done the same, along with joining the IDH tin program, which aims to make sure sustainable mining is being undertaken.
PT Timah, the largest legal mining company on the Bangka-Belitung Islands has made commitments to refilling holes, planting vegetation, and conserving local animal and marine health along with treating its workers and the rest of the community fairly. This means they can abide by the Indonesian government’s requirements and be sustainable enough to be allowed to continue mining for tin while it is available.
Friends of the Earth, an organisation that is mainly concerned with environmental sustainability, has been the greatest push behind letting large companies and consumers around the world know about the unsustainable tin mining in Bangka and Belitung. They have also partnered with Walhi, Indonesia’s national environmental group; to take current action by encouraging and confronting corporations and the Indonesian government to stop allowing use of unethically mined tin and start forcing a change in Bangka and Belitung’s tin mining to make it more sustainable.
Although corruption is high, with many illegal tin mine owners paying settlement fees to police to avoid persecution, the local police force of Bangka and Belitung Island has been under increasing pressure to take more action against illegal tin mining, with all the injuries and death arising from the activity.
Developed countries that use most of the tin exported from Bangka and Belitung have found out more recently about the shocking conditions and numerous negative impacts of tin mining on these two islands. Consumer pressure has forced electronics companies such as Samsung and Apple, some of the largest tin users, to investigate their supply chains and sources more closely to ensure they are ethical and sustainable in all areas, and numerous other electronics companies have done the same, along with joining the IDH tin program, which aims to make sure sustainable mining is being undertaken.
PT Timah, the largest legal mining company on the Bangka-Belitung Islands has made commitments to refilling holes, planting vegetation, and conserving local animal and marine health along with treating its workers and the rest of the community fairly. This means they can abide by the Indonesian government’s requirements and be sustainable enough to be allowed to continue mining for tin while it is available.
Friends of the Earth, an organisation that is mainly concerned with environmental sustainability, has been the greatest push behind letting large companies and consumers around the world know about the unsustainable tin mining in Bangka and Belitung. They have also partnered with Walhi, Indonesia’s national environmental group; to take current action by encouraging and confronting corporations and the Indonesian government to stop allowing use of unethically mined tin and start forcing a change in Bangka and Belitung’s tin mining to make it more sustainable.
What else could be done to improve sustainability?
More direct action needs to be made by the Indonesian government to introduce stricter laws around the use of the natural and cultural environment of Bangka Island and Belitung Island. The laws that are already in place are useful but need to be enforced without the threat of bribery by illegal miners and the police should be more effective in shutting down unsustainable tin ore excavation.
Technology companies are usually more obsessed with profit over sustainability but if more people refuse to buy products containing unsustainably mined tin then they will have to find better tin sources. Reducing the use of tin completely is another option, conserving Bangka and Belitung tin supplies to last more than until 2020 and leaving the earth with future reserves for the next generations to use.
Non-government sustainability organisations or the Indonesian government itself should start programs that aim to educate the residents and miners of Bangka and Belitung Island about the significance of the destruction to their environment and social health from the current tin mining. This will hopefully lead to awareness and action by the miners themselves towards more sustainable tin mining practice on Bangka and Belitung.
Again, non-government organisations and the government could also be involved in encouraging the clean-up of beaches and the filling of abandoned mines, along with vegetation replanting, to help the impacted natural environment of Bangka and Belitung. Efforts could be made to improve the sustainability of the local people and economy by improving infrastructure and helping reinstate and boost other industries and would provide alternate sources of income.
These strategies support improvement of the current tin mining industry so that it could be reformed and worked on to ensure that Bangka Island and Belitung Island can have a sustainable cultural environment and natural environment, while still being able to produce tin for future years to come.
More direct action needs to be made by the Indonesian government to introduce stricter laws around the use of the natural and cultural environment of Bangka Island and Belitung Island. The laws that are already in place are useful but need to be enforced without the threat of bribery by illegal miners and the police should be more effective in shutting down unsustainable tin ore excavation.
Technology companies are usually more obsessed with profit over sustainability but if more people refuse to buy products containing unsustainably mined tin then they will have to find better tin sources. Reducing the use of tin completely is another option, conserving Bangka and Belitung tin supplies to last more than until 2020 and leaving the earth with future reserves for the next generations to use.
Non-government sustainability organisations or the Indonesian government itself should start programs that aim to educate the residents and miners of Bangka and Belitung Island about the significance of the destruction to their environment and social health from the current tin mining. This will hopefully lead to awareness and action by the miners themselves towards more sustainable tin mining practice on Bangka and Belitung.
Again, non-government organisations and the government could also be involved in encouraging the clean-up of beaches and the filling of abandoned mines, along with vegetation replanting, to help the impacted natural environment of Bangka and Belitung. Efforts could be made to improve the sustainability of the local people and economy by improving infrastructure and helping reinstate and boost other industries and would provide alternate sources of income.
These strategies support improvement of the current tin mining industry so that it could be reformed and worked on to ensure that Bangka Island and Belitung Island can have a sustainable cultural environment and natural environment, while still being able to produce tin for future years to come.
