Recovery after mining in Indonesia
What happens to land after mining stops? We followed 7,305 mapped mining footprints (385,473 ha) through 36 years of yearly satellite land cover, 1990 to 2025.
What could restoring this land be worth? See the value after restoration in rupiah. ›
Method rec-1.0, computed 19 October 2026. Figures are read from the database at request time.
Ever disturbed by mining
298,652ha
Still actively mined
202,618ha
53 %
Vegetation back
68,881ha
Natural regrowth plus managed restoration
Recovery backlog (≥ 5 years)
13,774ha
Abandoned ≥ 5 years, still bare or water
Area by recovery status
Every 30 m pixel gets a status from its own land-cover history; the bar and the hectares add these up. Each polygon also gets one overall status: that is the polygon count.
| Status | Hectares | Share | Polygons | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actively mined | 202,618 | 53 % | 3,545 | Mining ground was still seen in the last few years. |
| Abandoned, bare ground | 5,132 | 1 % | 117 | Mining stopped at least 3 years ago and most of the land is still bare. |
| Abandoned, water-filled pit | 10,965 | 3 % | 161 | Mining stopped at least 3 years ago and most of the land is now water (pit lake, kolong). |
| Natural regrowth | 22,050 | 6 % | 220 | After mining, shrubs or forest came back slowly by themselves. |
| Managed restoration | 46,831 | 12 % | 628 | After mining, most of the land became farmland or tree crops, or vegetation came back fast and evenly, as after planting. |
| Converted to other use | 11,056 | 3 % | 399 | After mining, most of the land became built-up area, fish or shrimp ponds, or oil palm. |
| Not visible at 30 m | 86,821 | 23 % | 2,235 | The 30 m satellite map shows no mining or bare ground here; the site may be too small or too old. |
Recovery backlog
Land abandoned for at least 5 years that is still bare ground or water, by where it lies against the ESDM permit layer.
Abandoned for at least
| Where | Still bare or water |
|---|---|
| Inside an expired or revoked permitReclamation duty applies | 33 ha |
| Inside an active permit | 8,537 ha |
| Inside a permit with another statusPending, suspended or unknown status. | 162 ha |
| Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM)This can be a gap in the ESDM permit layer or an older or expired permit: the layer lists current permits only. | 5,041 ha |
| Total | 13,774 ha |
After 5 years: 4,555 ha bare ground and 9,219 ha water.
Sensitivity: 75,015 ha counted as actively mined has shown as mining ground without a break for 10 years or more. MapBiomas cannot tell an idle open pit from a working one, so part of this may be abandoned land.
Provinces with the most disturbed land
| Province | Polygons | Ever disturbed | Main status | Vegetation back | Backlog ≥ 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalimantan Tengah | 681 | 99,721 ha | Actively mined | 15 % | 3,070 ha |
| Kalimantan Timur | 2,248 | 90,560 ha | Actively mined | 54 % | 5,771 ha |
| Kalimantan Selatan | 1,478 | 41,826 ha | Actively mined | 40 % | 2,944 ha |
| Kepulauan Bangka Belitung | 334 | 18,587 ha | Actively mined | 48 % | 735 ha |
| Kalimantan Barat | 422 | 11,347 ha | Actively mined | 20 % | 88 ha |
| Sumatera Selatan | 341 | 7,372 ha | Actively mined | 28 % | 86 ha |
| Sulawesi Tenggara | 462 | 5,882 ha | Actively mined | 12 % | 34 ha |
| Kalimantan Utara | 191 | 4,445 ha | Actively mined | 58 % | 369 ha |
| Sulawesi Tengah | 190 | 4,030 ha | Actively mined | 17 % | 3 ha |
| Maluku Utara | 178 | 3,826 ha | Actively mined | 9 % | 51 ha |
| Sulawesi Selatan | 34 | 2,877 ha | Actively mined | 39 % | 55 ha |
| Jambi | 186 | 1,891 ha | Actively mined | 53 % | 61 ha |
| Nusa Tenggara Barat | 40 | 1,659 ha | Actively mined | 17 % | 17 ha |
| Papua Tengah | 14 | 1,359 ha | Actively mined | 22 % | 94 ha |
| Jawa Timur | 61 | 917 ha | Actively mined | 25 % | 212 ha |
Recovery by commodity
Commodity of the permit the land lies in (ESDM). Shares are of the land that had at least 5 or 10 years to recover.
| Commodity | Polygons | Ever disturbed | Vegetation back | Still bare or water after 5 years | after 10 years | Backlog ≥ 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM) | 4,304 | 131,021 ha | 26 % | 25 % | 24 % | 5,041 ha |
| Coal | 2,943 | 117,093 ha | 47 % | 26 % | 26 % | 6,481 ha |
| Nickel | 675 | 13,969 ha | 18 % | 12 % | 33 % | 115 ha |
| Quartz sand | 273 | 11,986 ha | 18 % | 46 % | 42 % | 1,106 ha |
| Tin | 204 | 9,109 ha | 48 % | 17 % | 14 % | 382 ha |
| Gold | 275 | 3,825 ha | 23 % | 22 % | 23 % | 67 ha |
| Zircon | 53 | 3,722 ha | 10 % | 25 % | 19 % | 49 ha |
| Copper | 26 | 3,022 ha | 18 % | 42 % | 61 % | 102 ha |
| Bauxite | 109 | 1,199 ha | 25 % | 7 % | 19 % | 21 ha |
| Iron ore | 80 | 1,029 ha | 29 % | 63 % | 65 % | 324 ha |
| Kaolin | 51 | 759 ha | 28 % | 12 % | 13 % | 19 ha |
| Clay | 41 | 436 ha | 45 % | 13 % | 4 % | 12 ha |
| Limestone | 49 | 420 ha | 12 % | 6 % | 1 % | 2 ha |
| Inside permits, commodity unknown | 23 | 244 ha | 22 % | 51 % | 49 % | 22 ha |
| Sand and gravel | 10 | 154 ha | 23 % | 35 % | 2 % | 0 ha |
| Quarry stone | 32 | 149 ha | 8 % | 0 % | 0 % | 0 ha |
Recovery by footprint class
Land-use class of the footprint (Cheng et al. 2026); Maus et al. polygons have no class.
| Class | Polygons | Ever disturbed | Vegetation back | Vegetation gain per year | Main status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bare soil | 1,878 | 97,386 ha | 48 % | 5.3 % | Actively mined |
| No class (Maus et al.) | 500 | 87,856 ha | 20 % | 5.3 % | Actively mined |
| Open pit | 1,328 | 64,639 ha | 27 % | 4 % | Actively mined |
| Waste dump | 866 | 22,197 ha | 56 % | 7.2 % | Actively mined |
| Water body | 863 | 14,949 ha | 27 % | 2.1 % | Actively mined |
| Disturbed land | 1,379 | 7,591 ha | 41 % | 3.4 % | Actively mined |
| Facility | 491 | 4,035 ha | 23 % | 3 % | Actively mined |
Does mining land recover? Inside versus outside known permits
We compare land inside permits with land outside known permit boundaries (ESDM): the share still bare or water 5 and 10 years after mining stopped, and the median number of years until vegetation returned. Ranges are 95 % bootstrap intervals over polygons (2,000 resamples).
Still bare or water after 5 years
| Where | Polygons | Estimate (95 % interval) | Difference to outside (95 % interval) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM)reference | 2,627 | 25 % (21 % … 29 %) | – |
| Inside any known permit | 2,824 | 26 % (23 % … 30 %) | +1.6 points (−3.9 … +6.9)no clear difference |
| Inside an active permit | 2,661 | 27 % (23 % … 31 %) | +2.0 points (−3.3 … +7.5)no clear difference |
| Inside an expired or revoked permit | 29 | 40 % (17 % … 61 %) | +15.7 points (−8.2 … +36.2)no clear difference |
| Inside a permit with another status | 286 | 14 % (9 % … 20 %) | −10.9 points (−17.2 … −3.5)lower than outside |
Still bare or water after 10 years
| Where | Polygons | Estimate (95 % interval) | Difference to outside (95 % interval) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM)reference | 1,851 | 24 % (19 % … 30 %) | – |
| Inside any known permit | 1,909 | 27 % (22 % … 31 %) | +2.7 points (−4.6 … +9.7)no clear difference |
| Inside an active permit | 1,796 | 27 % (22 % … 32 %) | +3.1 points (−4.6 … +10.1)no clear difference |
| Inside an expired or revoked permit | 12 | 21 % (0 % … 55 %) | −3.3 points (−25.5 … +31.4)no clear difference |
| Inside a permit with another status | 197 | 18 % (9 % … 29 %) | −5.9 points (−15.7 … +5.7)no clear difference |
Median years until vegetation returns
| Where | Polygons | Estimate (95 % interval) | Difference to outside (95 % interval) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM)reference | 3,049 | 1 year (1 … 1) | – |
| Inside any known permit | 3,404 | 1 year (1 … 1) | 0.0 years (0.0 … 0.0)no clear difference |
| Inside an active permit | 3,228 | 1 year (1 … 1) | 0.0 years (0.0 … 0.0)no clear difference |
| Inside an expired or revoked permit | 40 | 2 years (1 … 6) | +1.0 years (0.0 … +5.0)no clear difference |
| Inside a permit with another status | 321 | 1 year (1 … 1) | 0.0 years (0.0 … 0.0)no clear difference |
A difference is not proof that permits cause faster recovery: land inside and outside known permits differs in commodity, age, size and place.
By commodity
Inside known permits versus outside, only groups with enough polygons for an estimate.
| Group | Polygons | Still bare or water after 5 years · Inside | Outside | Difference to outside (95 % interval) | Still bare or water after 10 years · Difference to outside (95 % interval) | Median years until vegetation returns · Inside / Outside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,269 / 1,597 | 26 % | 28 % | −2.2 points (−8.7 … +3.6)no clear difference | −7.2 points (−16.0 … +1.7)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Nickel | 361 / 131 | 12 % | 14 % | −1.6 points (−11.8 … +8.1)no clear difference | +6.6 points (−24.2 … +28.3)no clear difference | 1 year / – |
| Inside permits, commodity unknown | 20 / 293 | 51 % | 28 % | +22.6 points (+7.1 … +49.9)higher than outside | +25.5 points (+4.1 … +58.3)higher than outside | 2 years / 1 year |
| Quartz sand | 218 / 234 | 46 % | 19 % | +27.4 points (−6.3 … +42.9)no clear difference | +29.2 points (+0.7 … +41.6)higher than outside | 6 years / 1 year |
| Gold | 189 / 119 | 22 % | 26 % | −3.5 points (−13.9 … +24.0)no clear difference | +7.2 points (−6.2 … +28.5)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Tin | 178 / 105 | 17 % | 9 % | +7.9 points (+0.3 … +16.5)higher than outside | +8.0 points (+0.4 … +15.7)higher than outside | 1 year / 1 year |
| Quarry stone | 25 / 96 | 0 % | 20 % | −20.1 points (−28.4 … −10.7)lower than outside | – | – / 1 year |
| Bauxite | 68 / 42 | 7 % | 19 % | −12.2 points (−38.4 … +7.2)no clear difference | +0.0 points (−45.7 … +32.2)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Iron ore | 66 / 67 | 63 % | 24 % | +39.1 points (+15.8 … +55.7)higher than outside | +46.0 points (−13.0 … +73.2)no clear difference | – / 1 year |
| Fill soil | 10 / 67 | – | – | – | – | – / 4 years |
| Andesite | 22 / 56 | 7 % | 51 % | −43.6 points (−68.0 … −1.4)lower than outside | – | 2 years / 1 year |
| Zircon | 40 / 33 | 25 % | 17 % | +7.6 points (−25.8 … +24.8)no clear difference | +2.8 points (−28.0 … +24.6)no clear difference | 1 year / 6 years |
| Limestone | 39 / 28 | 6 % | 56 % | −50.3 points (−72.3 … −13.3)lower than outside | – | 1 year / 8 years |
| Kaolin | 37 / 34 | 12 % | 4 % | +7.6 points (−3.1 … +31.9)no clear difference | +8.8 points (−5.7 … +39.6)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Sand and gravel | 10 / 35 | – | – | – | – | – / 1 year |
| Laterite | 13 / 27 | 16 % | 11 % | +5.5 points (−12.9 … +28.5)no clear difference | – | 1 year / 1 year |
| Copper | 16 / 14 | 42 % | 35 % | +7.8 points (−30.5 … +56.1)no clear difference | – | 1 year / – |
By province
| Group | Polygons | Still bare or water after 5 years · Inside | Outside | Difference to outside (95 % interval) | Still bare or water after 10 years · Difference to outside (95 % interval) | Median years until vegetation returns · Inside / Outside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalimantan Timur | 1,144 / 974 | 24 % | 29 % | −4.4 points (−12.4 … +3.7)no clear difference | −12.0 points (−22.9 … +1.8)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Kalimantan Selatan | 653 / 709 | 33 % | 24 % | +8.3 points (−3.0 … +19.8)no clear difference | +8.5 points (−4.8 … +22.7)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Kalimantan Tengah | 319 / 272 | 47 % | 27 % | +20.0 points (−6.2 … +34.6)no clear difference | +28.6 points (−4.5 … +42.3)no clear difference | 3 years / 1 year |
| Kepulauan Bangka Belitung | 239 / 232 | 18 % | 11 % | +7.2 points (+1.5 … +14.6)higher than outside | +6.7 points (+1.4 … +13.6)higher than outside | 1 year / 1 year |
| Kalimantan Barat | 153 / 236 | 3 % | 5 % | −2.2 points (−6.8 … +2.0)no clear difference | −0.6 points (−5.4 … +3.9)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Sumatera Selatan | 200 / 44 | 9 % | 11 % | −1.5 points (−36.2 … +16.0)no clear difference | −10.0 points (−54.8 … +4.3)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Sulawesi Tenggara | 199 / 85 | 10 % | 11 % | −0.9 points (−11.6 … +8.8)no clear difference | −10.3 points (−42.5 … +7.6)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Kalimantan Utara | 59 / 110 | 26 % | 23 % | +2.9 points (−14.7 … +18.4)no clear difference | −3.3 points (−33.7 … +28.6)no clear difference | 1 year / 1 year |
| Sulawesi Tengah | 97 / 60 | 1 % | 3 % | −2.4 points (−6.4 … +0.7)no clear difference | −3.0 points (−7.1 … 0.0)no clear difference | 1 year / – |
| Maluku Utara | 91 / 43 | 27 % | 30 % | −3.9 points (−28.0 … +24.8)no clear difference | +33.4 points (−0.2 … +49.6)no clear difference | 3 years / – |
| Jambi | 76 / 75 | 26 % | 4 % | +22.0 points (+4.7 … +40.5)higher than outside | +47.7 points (+6.8 … +69.7)higher than outside | 1 year / 1 year |
| Sumatera Barat | 28 / 45 | 27 % | 49 % | −22.3 points (−44.8 … +6.8)no clear difference | −23.2 points (−52.2 … +16.0)no clear difference | 10 years / 9 years |
| Jawa Timur | 27 / 25 | 6 % | 71 % | −64.9 points (−88.9 … −35.5)lower than outside | – | 1 year / – |
Second measure: MapBiomas mining class
The figures above follow the mapped footprint polygons (Maus 2019, Cheng 2017–2022), a snapshot that misses much small-scale mining. This measure takes every 30 m pixel that MapBiomas ever labelled mining pit between 1990 and 2025, wherever it lies, and applies the same rules. It is a separate measure, shown next to the footprint-based one, not a replacement.
Ever labelled mining pit
816,323ha
MapBiomas mining class 1990–2025, in 406 kabupaten
Inside the footprint polygons
48 %
390,561 ha; the rest lies outside the mapped footprint
Still actively mined
542,634ha
66 %
Recovery backlog (≥ 5 years)
33,832ha
Abandoned ≥ 5 years, still bare or water
Status and backlog by region
| Region | Mining-class land | In footprint polygons | Actively mined | Abandoned, bare or water | Vegetation back | Backlog ≥ 5 years | Inside an expired or revoked permit | Inside an active permit | Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 816,323 ha | 48 % | 66 % | 38,170 ha | 188,556 ha | 33,832 ha | 63 ha | 11,498 ha | 19,524 ha |
| Bangka Belitung | 109,675 ha | 22 % | 45 % | 4,223 ha | 48,686 ha | 3,774 ha | 0 ha | 1,964 ha | 1,677 ha |
| Kalimantan | 481,729 ha | 66 % | 71 % | 20,993 ha | 101,113 ha | 18,504 ha | 41 ha | 8,908 ha | 8,699 ha |
| Sulawesi | 59,277 ha | 37 % | 78 % | 1,073 ha | 7,687 ha | 871 ha | 1 ha | 101 ha | 743 ha |
Backlog = abandoned at least 5 years and still bare or water. Inside an expired or revoked permit, a reclamation duty applies. Sensitivity: 128,580 ha counted as actively mined has shown as mining ground without a break for 10 years or more. MapBiomas cannot tell an idle open pit from a working one, so part of this may be abandoned land.
The comparison on both measures
Share of mining land still bare or water 5 and 10 years after mining stopped, inside known permits versus outside known permit boundaries (ESDM), on each measure. Ranges are 95 % bootstrap intervals.
| Region | Measure | Polygons or cells (in / out) | Still bare or water after 5 years · Inside | Outside | Difference to outside (95 % interval) | Still bare or water after 10 years · Difference to outside (95 % interval) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Footprint polygons | 2,824 / 2,627 | 26 % (23 % … 30 %) | 25 % (21 % … 29 %) | +1.6 points (−3.9 … +6.9)no clear difference | +2.7 points (−4.6 … +9.7)no clear difference |
| Indonesia | MapBiomas mining class | 1,787 / 3,963 | 18 % (17 % … 20 %) | 28 % (26 % … 30 %) | −9.5 points (−12.3 … −6.7)lower than outside | −10.0 points (−12.4 … −7.5)lower than outside |
| Bangka Belitung | Footprint polygons | 229 / 207 | 18 % (14 % … 25 %) | 11 % (8 % … 14 %) | +7.2 points (+1.3 … +14.5)higher than outside | +6.7 points (+1.7 … +13.6)higher than outside |
| Bangka Belitung | MapBiomas mining class | 327 / 372 | 13 % (11 % … 15 %) | 16 % (13 % … 19 %) | −2.5 points (−6.6 … +0.9)no clear difference | −2.9 points (−6.1 … −0.1)lower than outside |
| Kalimantan | Footprint polygons | 2,039 / 2,030 | 28 % (24 % … 33 %) | 26 % (22 % … 31 %) | +2.3 points (−4.3 … +8.3)no clear difference | +3.8 points (−5.8 … +13.1)no clear difference |
| Kalimantan | MapBiomas mining class | 873 / 1,487 | 21 % (18 % … 23 %) | 28 % (25 % … 31 %) | −6.9 points (−11.2 … −3.0)lower than outside | −7.9 points (−12.0 … −3.8)lower than outside |
| Sulawesi | Footprint polygons | 245 / 109 | 9 % (4 % … 16 %) | 6 % (3 % … 12 %) | +2.4 points (−5.0 … +10.6)no clear difference | +13.0 points (−9.2 … +33.6)no clear difference |
| Sulawesi | MapBiomas mining class | 166 / 338 | 4 % (3 % … 6 %) | 22 % (15 % … 30 %) | −17.9 points (−25.4 … −10.6)lower than outside | −13.2 points (−19.8 … −6.0)lower than outside |
For the MapBiomas measure there are no polygons: the bootstrap resamples 0.05° cells (about 5.5 km), and the counts are cells.
Kabupaten with the largest backlog (MapBiomas measure)
| Kabupaten | Mining-class land | In footprint polygons | Main status | Backlog ≥ 5 years | Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kabupaten Kotawaringin Timur | 14,363 ha | 78 % | Actively mined | 3,141 ha | 1,035 ha |
| Kabupaten Katingan | 29,567 ha | 81 % | Actively mined | 2,230 ha | 2,065 ha |
| Kabupaten Kutai Kartanegara | 45,146 ha | 64 % | Actively mined | 2,028 ha | 847 ha |
| Kabupaten Bintan | 9,590 ha | 0 % | Actively mined | 1,744 ha | 1,702 ha |
| Kabupaten Kutai Timur | 53,143 ha | 69 % | Actively mined | 1,724 ha | 203 ha |
| Kabupaten Mimika | 3,369 ha | 21 % | Actively mined | 1,655 ha | 31 ha |
| Kota Batam | 10,735 ha | 0 % | Converted to other use | 1,317 ha | 1,317 ha |
| Kabupaten Tanah Bumbu | 14,808 ha | 69 % | Actively mined | 960 ha | 460 ha |
| Kabupaten Bangka | 27,404 ha | 2 % | Managed restoration | 890 ha | 179 ha |
| Kabupaten Bangka Tengah | 18,907 ha | 0 % | Actively mined | 876 ha | 693 ha |
| Kabupaten Ketapang | 19,433 ha | 11 % | Actively mined | 873 ha | 475 ha |
| Kabupaten Berau | 25,398 ha | 57 % | Actively mined | 802 ha | 148 ha |
| Kabupaten Belitung Timur | 21,640 ha | 71 % | Actively mined | 726 ha | 209 ha |
| Kabupaten Kotawaringin Barat | 4,629 ha | 51 % | Actively mined | 690 ha | 464 ha |
| Kabupaten Kutai Barat | 15,826 ha | 65 % | Actively mined | 629 ha | 278 ha |
What the data can and cannot say
- Land cover comes from MapBiomas Indonesia Collection 5 at 30 m, one map per year. Each class has its own accuracy; small sites of a few pixels are uncertain.
- The Collection 5 legend is not published yet. We treat codes 46, 48 and 80 as tree crops, 11, 12 and 49 as natural non-forest, and 64 and 92 as unknown.
- The MapBiomas class "mining pit" means exposed mining ground. An idle open pit still counts as active; see the sensitivity figure above.
- The footprint polygons come from Maus et al. (2019 imagery) and Cheng et al. (2017–2022 imagery). They are a snapshot: mining before 1990, or outside these polygons, is missed.
- Satellite land cover is not the same as reported reclamation (reklamasi). ESDM reclamation reports are not used here.
- "Outside known permit boundaries (ESDM)" can be a gap in the data or an expired or older permit: the ESDM layer lists current permits only, so few expired permits remain in it.
- A one-year switch from mining to farmland is probably MapBiomas relabelling levelled ground, not a real harvest.
- These are correlations. They do not show what caused recovery or its absence, and they are not findings about any company.
Sources and method
MapBiomas Indonesia Collection 5 (CC BY-SA 4.0); JRC Tropical Moist Forest v1 2025; Maus et al. 2022, PANGAEA 942325 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cheng et al. 2026, Zenodo 15726306 (CC BY-SA 4.0); ESDM MODI permit layer. Method rec-1.0: one status per polygon from its yearly land cover by fixed rules, with a confidence grade A–D.