News mentions, interviews, webinars, and presentations regarding my research and investigations.
Kompas
Kompas.id featured Riski Saputra from AEER in its coverage of mining pressure on Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan. In the article, Riski explained AEER’s findings on overlapping mining concessions within the conservation area, including approximately **488.34 hectares** of BUMNU’s concession located inside Kutai National Park. The findings support AEER’s advocacy for a moratorium and comprehensive evaluation of mining activities around conservation areas.
Ekuatorial
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Ekuatorial for his satellite-based analysis of tailings expansion in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. He highlighted that the IMIP 9 tailings disposal area expanded rapidly from nearly zero in August 2025 to around 8.5 hectares by January 2026, warning that dry-stack HPAL nickel tailings in high-rainfall areas like Morowali carry serious landslide and environmental risks.
Jakarta Satu
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was cited by JakartaSatu for his satellite-based analysis of tailings expansion in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. He highlighted that the rapid expansion of the IMIP 9 tailings disposal area reflects the massive scale of nickel waste and growing risks to workers, communities, and the environment.
Mongabay
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Mongabay Indonesia for his analysis of NU’s coal mining concession in East Kalimantan. He highlighted that parts of the concession overlap with Kutai National Park, contain unreclaimed former mining pits, sit within the vulnerable Bengalon watershed, and could worsen ecological risks, carbon emissions, and social conflict with nearby communities.
The Guru / Daum
Riski Saputra was featured by Korean media The Guru in its coverage of repeated tailings landslides at the QMB nickel smelter in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. He highlighted the risks of using dry-stack HPAL nickel tailings in high-rainfall and seismically active areas, warning that unstable tailings could collapse during heavy rain and trigger landslides that endanger workers, communities, and the environment.
Katadata
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Katadata for his satellite-based analysis of tailings expansion in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. He highlighted the risks of dry-stack HPAL nickel tailings in high-rainfall and seismically active areas, warning that repeated tailings landslides could threaten workers, surrounding communities, and the environment.
Harian Rakyat
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Harian Rakyat in its coverage of a fatal tailings landslide at PT QMB New Energy Materials in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. He highlighted the systemic risks of HPAL-based nickel waste management, calling for a halt to tailings dumping, stronger worker safety standards, independent investigation, and comprehensive reform of tailings governance in Indonesia’s nickel industry.
Kompas
Kompas.id cited Riski Saputra from AEER in its coverage of floods and forest fires across Kalimantan in early 2026. Riski highlighted that flooding in East Kutai is closely linked to the degraded condition of the **Bengalon watershed**, where green areas have been opened for plantations and mining. He emphasized that the priority should shift from further extraction to **land rehabilitation, reclamation, and watershed restoration**, connecting disaster risk with broader issues of industrial permits and environmental governance.
Kompas
Kompas.id featured Riski Saputra from AEER in its coverage of environmental issues surrounding BUMNU’s mining concession in East Kutai, East Kalimantan. Riski presented AEER’s satellite-based analysis identifying at least **14 unreclaimed mining pits** covering around **361 hectares**, including one pit spanning **179.56 hectares**. He also highlighted the concession’s overlap with **Kutai National Park** and its location within the restoration-priority **Bengalon watershed**, underscoring the need for stronger accountability, concession evaluation, and ecological restoration.
Katadata
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured in Katadata for his analysis of the environmental and social risks surrounding NU’s coal mining concession in East Kalimantan. His assessment highlighted concerns over abandoned mining pits, flood risks, potential forest loss, carbon emissions, and possible conflict with local Dayak communities.
Katadata
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was featured by Katadata in its coverage of NU’s coal mining permit in East Kalimantan. The research identified at least 14 unreclaimed former mining pits in the ex-Kaltim Prima Coal concession area, raising concerns over ecological liabilities, abandoned mine rehabilitation, and the environmental burden inherited by NU’s mining business entity.
Mongabay
Riski Saputra, an AEER researcher, was featured by Mongabay Indonesia for his critique of Japan-backed AZEC energy transition projects in Indonesia. He emphasized the need to prioritize renewable energy, local potential, community involvement, and a transition pathway that avoids creating new social and environmental impacts.
Kompas
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was referenced by Kompas.id in an article on Ice Age rock art sites threatened by nickel mining in Sulawesi. The research highlights the economic and ecological value of Morowali’s forests, showing how tourism, culture, carbon absorption, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem services could offer greater long-term value than nickel extraction.
Kompas
Kompas.id cited Riski Saputra from AEER in its coverage of long-standing ecological pressure on Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan. Riski highlighted AEER’s finding that a coal mining concession covering **24,391 hectares** overlaps with the national park, with **19,131 hectares**, or around **80 percent**, located inside the conservation area. The article connects illegal extraction, overlapping permits, biodiversity protection, and community livelihoods, underscoring the need for stronger evaluation of mining concessions and stricter protection of Kutai National Park.
Mongabay
Riski research with AEER was published by Mongabay Indonesia, highlighting how Morowali, Central Sulawesi, could build stronger long-term resilience without relying heavily on nickel mining. The research examines the economic, ecological, and climate value of Morowali’s forests, showing their importance for carbon absorption, biodiversity protection, and sustainable local livelihoods.
Mongabay
Riski Saputra, an AEER researcher, was featured by Mongabay Indonesia for his analysis of forest and carbon risks from coal and nickel concessions in Indonesia. He highlighted that hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest in East Kalimantan and Morowali are threatened by mining concessions, undermining Indonesia’s climate commitments and the country’s FoLU Net Sink target.
Kompas
Kompas.id featured Riski Saputra from AEER in its coverage of East Kalimantan’s coal dependence and structural challenges in Indonesia’s energy transition. Riski emphasized the need to shift environmental governance from reactive enforcement toward preventive policy to protect forests, communities, and biodiversity. AEER’s analysis also highlighted more than **500,000 hectares** of mining permits from **156 companies** located in forest areas without PPKH, as well as concession overlaps in sensitive areas such as **Kutai National Park**.
Indonesia Business Post
Indonesia Business Post featured research findings presented by Riski Saputra from AEER during COP30-related civil society discussions on Indonesia’s coal and forest governance. AEER found that East Kalimantan had **310 coal mining concessions** covering **1.51 million hectares**, including **667,565 hectares** inside forest zones and around **507,610 hectares** of coal concessions reportedly lacking PPKH permits. The coverage highlights Riski’s advocacy for preventive regulation, forest protection, and stronger alignment between Indonesia’s domestic extractive policies and its international climate commitments.
Akurat
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Akurat.co for his analysis of coal mining governance in East Kalimantan amid Indonesia’s COP30 climate agenda. His assessment highlighted overlapping coal concessions in forest areas, unauthorized mining activity, carbon emission risks, and the need to use Presidential Regulation No. 5/2025 as a stronger instrument for early coal mine retirement and ecological restoration.
Betahita
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Betahita for his analysis of the links between environmental protection and worker safety in Indonesia’s nickel industry. He highlighted the risks of HPAL tailings management, dry-stack tailings landslides, captive coal power pollution, and the need for stronger national occupational, health, safety, and environmental standards.
Warta Ekonomi
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Warta Ekonomi for his critique of Japan-led AZEC energy transition projects in Indonesia. He argued that AZEC should support smart grids, solar and wind energy, and early coal power retirement, instead of extending fossil fuel dependence through false solutions such as co-firing and CCS/CCUS.
Betahita
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Betahita for his critique of Japan-backed AZEC energy transition projects in Indonesia. He emphasized that AZEC should prioritize smart grids, solar and wind power, and early coal power retirement, instead of prolonging fossil fuel dependence through false climate solutions.
Ruang Kota
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Ruang Kota for his critique of the Asia Zero Emission Community initiative in Indonesia. He emphasized that AZEC should support smart grids, solar and wind energy, and early coal power retirement, rather than extending fossil fuel dependence through false solutions such as co-firing and CCS/CCUS.
Betahita
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Betahita for his analysis of biodiversity risks from nickel industrial expansion in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. He highlighted how the planned BTIIG nickel project could threaten Hutan Sigendo, a habitat for anoa, babirusa, and dozens of plant and wildlife species, while also raising concerns over tailings storage and long-term ecological damage.
Indonesia Business Post
Indonesia Business Post featured AEER’s research on the environmental and social risks of BTIIG’s industrial expansion in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. Riski Saputra highlighted how nickel industry activities have caused coastal sedimentation, disrupted traditional fishing grounds, and forced local fishers to travel farther offshore. AEER also found that around **3,900 hectares** of high conservation value areas are included in BTIIG’s industrial plan, raising concerns over ecological loss, local livelihoods, and the protection of the Wallacea ecosystem.
Pikiran Merdeka
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was featured by Pikiran Merdeka for his analysis of BTIIG’s nickel industrial expansion plan in West Bungku, Morowali. He highlighted that much of the planned development overlaps with Hutan Sigendo, a key habitat for anoa and babirusa, warning that nickel expansion could undermine Indonesia’s biodiversity strategy, FOLU Net Sink target, and global conservation commitments.
Indonesia Business Post
Indonesia Business Post featured Riski Saputra from AEER in its coverage of calls to end the nickel industry’s dependence on coal-fired captive power plants. Speaking at AIGIS 2025, Riski urged the government to halt new captive coal projects and prepare a clear phase-out roadmap for nickel smelters. The article highlights AEER’s concerns over rising nickel-sector emissions, stranded-asset risks, limited renewable energy planning in Sulawesi, and the overlap between nickel mining and around **1.2 million hectares** of natural forest.
Mongabay
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was cited by Mongabay Indonesia in its coverage of U.S. interest in Indonesia’s critical minerals. The research highlights the long-term ecological and economic risks of nickel expansion in Sulawesi, showing that Morowali’s forests hold major value for biodiversity, carbon absorption, ecosystem services, and regional resilience beyond short-term mineral extraction.
Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRC)
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was published by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, highlighting the environmental and social risks of BTIIG’s nickel industrial expansion plan in West Bungku, Morowali. The study found that more than half of the planned industrial park area overlaps with High Conservation Value areas, threatening biodiversity, karst landscapes, cultural sites, and local communities’ access to water, food, and habitable land.
Kompas
Kompas.id featured research by Riski Saputra from AEER on the economic valuation of forests in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. AEER’s study found that Morowali’s forests generate a total economic value of **IDR 2.81 trillion per year**, exceeding the regional government’s 2023 revenue of **IDR 1.94 trillion**. The research also showed that **IDR 1.07 trillion per year** of this forest value lies within nickel mining concessions and is at risk of being lost, challenging the narrative that nickel mining delivers greater economic benefits than forest-based livelihoods and ecosystem services.
Betahita
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was featured by Betahita in its coverage of nickel mining and forest protection in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. The research estimates the total economic value of Morowali’s forests at Rp2.81 trillion per year and warns that the imbalance between nickel extraction and forest conservation could create long-term ecological and economic losses.
Suara
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was featured by Suara.com in its coverage of nickel mining expansion in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. The research estimates Morowali’s forest economic value at Rp2.81 trillion per year and warns that continued nickel expansion could threaten forest ecosystems, biodiversity, carbon absorption, and long-term regional resilience.
Kompas
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was featured by Kompas.id in its coverage of Morowali’s forest economic value beyond nickel mining. The research estimates the total economic value of Morowali’s forests at Rp2.81 trillion per year, highlighting the importance of ecosystem services, carbon absorption, biodiversity protection, and sustainable local economies as alternatives to extractive nickel development.
Tribun News
Riski Saputra’s research with AEER was featured by Warta Kota in its coverage of Morowali’s forest economic value beyond nickel mining. The research estimates that Morowali’s forests could generate around Rp2.8 trillion per year through ecosystem services, carbon absorption, biodiversity protection, tourism, and other non-extractive benefits.
The Business and Human Rights Centre
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre published AEER’s research by Riski Saputra and Meity Ferdiana Paskual on the threats of nickel mining to Morowali’s biodiversity and forest-based economic potential. AEER’s study identified **70 nickel mining licenses** and found that up to **133,256.84 hectares** of forest cover could be at risk. The publication highlights risks to endemic Sulawesi species, ecosystem services, water-resource protection areas, and long-term regional economic planning, while recommending a moratorium on mining in primary forests and high-biodiversity areas.
Focus Taiwan
Riski Saputra, a researcher at AEER, was featured by Fokus Taiwan in coverage of a Taipei forum on the environmental and human rights impacts of Taiwanese nickel investment in Indonesia. He highlighted how local communities affected by mining often lose access to land and rivers that sustain their livelihoods, while facing pollution and limited public consultation before mining expansion takes place.
TTNC Watch
Riski Saputra, an environmental researcher at AEER, was listed as one of the presenters at TTNC Watch’s forum on the human rights and environmental impacts of Taiwanese businesses in Indonesia. The forum brought together Indonesian and regional civil society groups to discuss supply chain due diligence, corporate accountability, and stronger protections for communities, workers, and the environment.