Continual dialogue with communities
Eramet’s teams have been engaged in ongoing dialogue with communities in the surrounding villages and local authorities since the exploration phase, supported by societal studies aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of all local populations and their way of life.
With PT Weda Bay Nickel prioritizing local employment opportunities, 98% of the mine’s workforce is Indonesian and 68% hails from Halmahera or North Maluku province.
Apart from the direct benefits, there are indirect advantages for the surrounding villages, which have experienced rapid growth and created new business and employment prospects.
In 2023, North Maluku province reported remarkable growth attributed to its mining and metallurgy sector, achieving a remarkable economic growth rate of 20.49%.
The Tobelo community
Since the exploration phase commenced, the teams have engaged with a few individuals from the semi-nomadic Tobelo community, also known as O’Hongana Manyawa, residing in the forest.
Ethnological studies conducted by Indonesian and international experts estimate the population of this community to be between 1,500 and 3,000 individuals, dispersed across the 1.778 million hectares of Halmahera Island. Over the years, Indonesian authorities have initiated programs aimed at integrating these communities into coastal villages, with a focus on volunteer participants, particularly in East Halmahera.
PT Weda Bay Nickel conducted studies based on ethnological due diligence in 2010 to understand the customs and traditions of the Tobelo community residing within or partially overlapping the concession area. This was done to ensure a respectful and appropriate approach in the event of interactions.
In 2023, PT Weda Bay Nickel updated its understanding through a field study led by an independent anthropologist from Khairun University in Ternate, Indonesia. The study revealed that a group of nine individuals from the Tobelo community resides within the mining concession, while other smaller groups are situated outside the concession area but in close proximity.
Some of these groups maintain regular contact with local coastal communities and mining camps. Additionally, three members of the Tobelo community are employed by subcontractors at the mine.
In 2024, PT Weda Bay Nickel has decided to deepen its understanding by engaging a team of anthropologists to study the livelihoods of these groups and their interactions with ecosystem services. The insights gained will enable the company to develop a supplementary engagement plan with the Tobelo community, if deemed necessary.
A strong CSR program for communities
PT Weda Bay Nickel is independently spearheading a socially responsible development program in the villages surrounding its operations and within the Industrial Park, overseen by PT IWIP.
Thirty neighbouring villages are reaping the benefits of CSR initiatives.
Under this program, various initiatives in economic development, education, health, and culture have been launched, including:
- Providing 5 MW of electricity to villages near the industrial park.
- Constructing 9 km of roads to improve access in Sagea and Lelilef villages.
- Implementing clean water programs in Weda.
- Introducing a fishing program to equip and train fishermen in an East Halmahera village.
- Offering scholarships to students.
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villages
get contributive CSR projects