The Omnibus bill on job creation is considered to have perpetuated legal uncertainty towards indigenous peoples. The bill is also expected to worsen overlapping rights over customary territories.
The District Head Regulation issued in 2018 is intended to empower indigenous peoples to defend their rights, in addition to fighting for environmental conservation work. However, a review on a number of regulations at the provincial and central levels are needed for this Perbup to function properly.
To further push for an investment-friendly climate, the Jokowi administration will simplify, and revoke a number of laws and regulations which are seen to be a hindrance to investment. There are at least 79 laws that are currently being drafted in the omnibus bills, including Press Law Number 40 of 1999.
Philip Jacobson was officially arrested on January 21 for alleged visa violations and is still being held in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan when this release was published.
Streams and rivers aren’t the only sources of clean water in East Kalimantan, but rainwater and underground aquifers will need to be harvested sustainably to serve the expected jump in new residents.
The Madrid summit reached no consensus on carbon markets, paying for climate-realted loss and damage or long-term finance for developing countries.
For the people of Pedamaran, OKI Regency, peatlands are the heart of life. They are economically and socially dependant on peatlands. But the opening of investment taps through the expansion of oil palm plantations threatens not only their income sources, but also peat swamp areas covering over 150 thousand hectares of land in this district.
Riau has announced state of emergency since February 19, 2019 while all schools in Pekanbaru have been closed since September 11, 2019, due to worsening air pollution that have reached unhealthy levels. While the Riau Regional Disaster Management Agency noted, for the period from January 1 to October 6, 2019, the total area of land burned in Riau had reached 9,120.5 hectares.
The expansion of private oil palm plantation in Gane Dalam, Halmahera is inevitable. Some residents choose to stay on the remaining land they have. Some of them sold their land and become labourers on the plantation. While environmentalists ask the government to review permits and policies that are deemed as not in favour of the local community.
The Chinese government injects financial assistance into infrastructure development in over 60 countries, through the Belt and Road initiative that is expected to benefit 4,4 billion people across the globe and contribute USD21 trillion to the global GDP. Journalists from Asia, Africa and South America discuss the media coverage of the mega project in their respective countries.
