Indonesia takes action against mining firms after floods devastate population of world’s rarest ape

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Gloria DickieJanuary 23, 2026 at 06:00 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Following devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia's Batang Toru ecosystem in November 2024 that killed over 1,100 people and impacted the endangered Tapanuli orangutan population, the Indonesian government is taking action against companies operating in the area. In response to an investigation into the environmental damage, President Prabowo Subianto announced the revocation of permits for 28 companies, including mining company PT Agincourt Resources and PT North Sumatera Hydro Energy. The permits focused on mining, timber harvesting, oil palm plantations and hydropower. Additionally, the environment ministry is suing six companies for 4.8tn rupiah (£211m) for allegedly causing environmental damage across 2,500 hectares in the region's watersheds. The companies are accused of damaging the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Batang Toru River 40% Amanda Hurowitz 40% Forest Area Regulation Task Force 50% Mighty Earth 50% Martabe goldmine 50% PT North Sumatera Hydro Energy 60% PT Agincourt Resources ×270% Prabowo Subianto 70% Batang Toru ×580% Indonesia ×390%

Keywords

batang toru ecosystem 100% tapanuli orangutan 90% mining firms 90% environmental damage 80% floods 80% indonesia 70% landslides 70% permit revocation 70% hydropower project 50% conservation 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.30

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Indonesia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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batang toru ecosystem tapanuli orangutan mining firms environmental damage floods indonesia landslides permit revocation hydropower project conservation

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