Penambang Rakyat Nikmati Hijaunya Kebun Raya Megawati Soekarnoputri

This story excerpt and photo captions below were translated from bahasa Indonesia. To continue reading in bahasa Indonesia, visit the Tribun Manado website. You may also view the bahasa Indonesia story in full on the Rainforest Journalism Fund website here. Our website is available in English, Spanish, bahasa Indonesia, French, and Portuguese.

The town of Bukit Mesel in Ratatotok, Indonesia looks very different from what it once did since the reclamation of the former mining area of PT Newmont Minahasa Raya (PT NMR).

An area of 221 hectares that was once barren and arid is now verdant with trees. But not everyone in the community has felt satisfied with the benefits of the reclamation.

In accordance with its plan, the Megawati Soekarnoputri Botanical Garden provides benefits including plant conservation, research, education, tourism and environmental services. But some of the population around the botanical gardens have not felt the benefits.

In fact, after the PT NMR mining area officially left Ratatotok, more and more people took up traditional unlicensed mining in that location.