Children in Raja Ampat Learn to Protect Island Stewardship
Children in Arborek, Raja Ampat, are learning about their environment through a children's book as nickel mining threatens their ecosystem and cultural heritage.
Dozens of children from Arborek, a small island in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, named yellow and orange marine life such as rockhead fish, salamander fish, starfish and coral when asked what they see in nature.
A 2014 study of children in 22 villages in Indonesian Borneo found that those closely connected to their surroundings develop sophisticated understandings of local environmental relationships.
Sekar Bestari, the book’s illustrator, said children often understand environmental messages better than adults, noting, “We’re not surprised anymore today.”
The reading was part of a three-day gathering of Indigenous communities in Arborek, organised by Greenpeace Indonesia and local NGO Institut USBA, aimed at strengthening solidarity among Indigenous groups to protect lands, waters and biodiversity.
Benoni Watem, a 43-year-old resident and homestay owner in Arborek, said mining would damage the ecosystem’s beauty, which attracts tourists, and could harm manta rays by polluting the sea and eliminating their food sources.
George Mentansan, an anthropologist, warned that environmental damage could also threaten the cultural diversity of Raja Ampat, as Indigenous communities maintain ecological calendars and customary resource management systems.
The book Luka-Luka Pulau Kecil (The Wounds of Small Islands) tells the story of Pin, a child who loves swimming and sees rainbows as symbols of colour and life, reflecting the health of the islands.
In the story, Pin witnesses a mining barge with excavators, a rainbow losing its red colour due to smoke, a wilting red hibiscus, a weakened bird-of-paradise and dying red coral as mining continues.
Children in Arborek said islands in Raja Ampat had been damaged by mining and that collective action is needed to protect the region.
Titah Asmaning Winedar, the book’s author, recalled a girl named Esther who said sea turtles could be called by splitting a coconut and leaving it in the sea.
Titah and Sekar hope the book will help children value, document and share their own stories of home and nature.
Researchers estimate that Raja Ampat’s waters contain about 75% of the world’s known coral species, located in the heart of the Coral Triangle.
Nickel mining in Indonesia rose from 130,000 metric tons in 2015 to 2.2 million metric tons in 2024, making Indonesia the world’s largest producer.
Most nickel mining occurs in Sulawesi and North Maluku, but several Raja Ampat islands have also been targeted.
Public concern over nickel mining in Raja Ampat erupted in 2025 after images of forest clearing spread on social media, leading the government to suspend operations and revoke four of five mining permits, with PT Gag Nikel continuing on Gag Island.
Greenpeace says the threat of future mining remains and has identified two companies seeking nickel projects in eastern Waigeo and one seeking a coal permit in Misool.
Waigeo is home to endemic species including Wilson’s bird-of-paradise, the Waigeo brushturkey and the Waigeo spotted cuscus.
Residents fear mining waste could enter the ocean and harm marine life, especially manta rays, which are threatened due to slow reproduction and multiple pressures.
The children’s knowledge and concern reflect a broader movement among Indigenous communities to protect their environment and cultural heritage through storytelling and collective action.
