Indonesia Sues Six Companies Over Environmental Harm in Flood Zones

Indonesia’s Government Files Lawsuits Against Firms for Damages from Last Year’s Floods

The Indonesian government has filed six lawsuits seeking damages of over $200 million against companies accused of causing harm to an area spanning more than 2,500 hectares in Sumatra. The floods, which occurred last year and resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people, were attributed to deforestation.

The Ministry of Environment stated that the government is seeking 4.8 trillion rupiah ($283.8 million) from six companies, which includes fines for damage and proposed recovery efforts. The lawsuits were filed in Jakarta and Medan, North Sumatra.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said that corporations must be held responsible for restoring the ecosystem if they profit from damaging it. The ministry is also conducting environmental audits on over 100 companies operating in three provinces.

Separately, a task force identified 12 companies suspected of contributing to flash floods and landslides in Sumatra. Greenpeace Indonesia’s forest campaigner Arie Rompas criticized the lawsuits, stating that authorities should comprehensively review policies responsible for the disaster.

The government has also taken steps to address deforestation, including revoking forestry permits across the country. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said that 22 permits will be revoked, including those covering over 100,000 hectares in Sumatra.

A total of 240,000 hectares of primary forest were lost in 2024, according to analysis by The TreeMap’s Nusantara Atlas project.

Source: Al Jazeera