By: Investigative Journalism Desk Date: October 2026 Main Facts The global transition toward renewable energy has placed green technologies at the forefront of policy agendas worldwide. In Indonesia, geothermal energy—harnessing the earth’s natural heat to generate electricity—is often hailed as a clean, sustainable pillar of the country’s carbon-reduction strategy. However, a joint investigative report by Mongabay and Betahita has exposed a stark contradiction between national green energy goals and ecological reality on the ground. Deep inside the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (TNBBS)—a protected tropical rainforest in Sumatra designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site—industrial development for a geothermal project is actively underway. Rather than existing merely as an extraction site, the project has introduced heavy machinery, extensive deforestation, and industrial infrastructure into an ecologically sensitive zone. Key findings from the field investigation include: Massive Deforestation and Road Construction: An industrial road measuring 16 meters in width has been carved 10 kilometers deep into the national park, starting from Desa Sri Menanti in the Sekincau subdistrict of West Lampung Regency. Freshly felled trees line the corridor, indicating ongoing clearance. Habitat Fragmentation: Aerial footage reveals the road winding through rolling hills like a snake, breaking continuous forest cover and directly threatening endemic flora and fauna. Industrial Excavation: At the terminus of the new road, expansive cleared earth houses two giant excavated retention ponds (ponds), with heavy blue excavators stationed on-site. Zoning Infringement: Spatial analysis using the 2021 TNBBS zoning map confirms that the newly constructed road and excavation sites are situated directly within the park’s designated rehabilitation zone. Regulatory Backing: The expansion of geothermal operations within conservation areas has received a legal pathway through the newly passed Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems (KSDAHE) Law of 2024. Chronology The unfolding situation in TNBBS represents a methodical progression of industrial encroachment backed by recent legislative shifts. 2024 (Legislative Shift): The Indonesian government passes the revised Law on the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems (UU KSDAHE). Environmental watchdogs argue that the law quietly rolls out a "red carpet" for extractive industries, including geothermal energy, allowing previously restricted activities inside vital conservation forests. Early August 2026 (Field Investigation): A collaborative reporting team from Mongabay and Betahita conducts an on-the-ground investigation into the TNBBS area. They discover the 16-kilometer industrial road, noting that the tree trunks lining the paths are still freshly cut and undried, proving recent, active clearing. August 6, 2026 (Institutional Inquiries): Investigative journalists visit multiple government offices in Lampung and Tanggamus to seek clarification regarding the legality, environmental impact assessments (AMDAL), and disaster mitigation plans for the project. They encounter widespread evasion, unreturned messages, and locked doors from key officials, including the management of the TNBBS Great Hall (Balai Besar). October 2026 (Upcoming Exposé): This article serves as the introductory piece for an upcoming investigative serial scheduled for release, promising deeper insights into the ecological toll of industrial projects within Sumatra’s tropical rainforest heritage. Supporting Data & Ecological Significance The encroachment of the geothermal project into TNBBS is not merely a localized land-use conflict; it represents a direct threat to one of the world’s most irreplaceable ecological reserves. The Ecological Weight of TNBBS Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan spans over 350,000 hectares across the southwestern spine of Sumatra. It is a core component of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park acts as an essential sanctuary for critically endangered flagship species on the brink of extinction, including: The Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) The Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) Countless endemic bird species, primates, and high-value conservation flora. The Myth of "Clean" Infrastructure Environmental analysts argue that evaluating geothermal energy solely by its end-product—clean electricity—creates a dangerous blind spot. Suprinti Yohar, Director of Forests at the Auriga Nusantara Foundation, emphasizes that the collateral damage caused during the construction phase is profound. "The government may find ways to legally accommodate geothermal energy inside national parks through legislation. However, we must first examine the Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) for the roads and structures built inside. Because these actions fundamentally alter the landscape," Yohar stated. This sentiment is echoed by Irfan Tri Musri, Executive Director of WALHI (Indonesian Forum for the Environment) Lampung. Musri points out a complete lack of transparency regarding disaster risk assessments and infrastructure planning. "That is what we have been demanding. There has never been any document or study regarding this project that is accessible to the public," Musri asserted. Constructing a geothermal facility requires much more than a simple power plant. The development footprint encompasses: Access Roads: Heavy-duty, wide industrial roads that divide contiguous forest tracts. Wellpads: Cleared clearings for deep drilling rigs. Steam Pipelines: Extensive networks of metal piping that obstruct animal movement corridors. Electrical Substations and Ponds: Industrial facilities that alter local hydrology and increase human-wildlife conflict. Splitting a cohesive forest ecosystem into fragmented patches isolates animal populations, lowers genetic diversity, and invites poachers and illegal encroachers deeper into the sanctuary via newly opened industrial corridors. Official Responses and Administrative Stonewalling Transparency and accountability are fundamental to good governance, particularly when managing national assets of global importance. However, the investigative team’s attempts to secure official comments from regional and central government representatives met with systematic avoidance and silence. Local and Regional Leadership Parosil Mabsus (Regent of West Lampung): When the investigative team visited Liwa, the capital of West Lampung Regency, Regent Mabsus was reportedly out of town, returning only after the journalists had concluded their field trip and departed for Jakarta. Rahmat Mirzani Djauzal (Governor of Lampung): Attempts to secure an interview with the Governor on August 6 were unsuccessful as he was traveling back from China. Ganjar Jationo (Head of the Lampung Communication and Information Office): When contacted via telephone, Jationo promised to coordinate an interview schedule. However, rather than addressing the core violations, he questioned the basis of the journalists’ objections, asking defensively: "Is it actually forbidden to have a geothermal project inside TNBBS? In your opinion, is it wrong? Is it allowed? Let me get your perspective first." Conservation Management Evasion Accountability was similarly absent at the regional conservation authority level. On August 6, the investigative team visited the TNBBS Great Hall Office in Kota Agung, Tanggamus Regency, following up on unreturned messages sent to Hifzon Zawahiri, Head of the TNBBS Great Hall. Zawahiri had previously redirected inquiries to Teguh Ismail, the Head of Technical Affairs. However, once the journalists informed Ismail via WhatsApp about the discovery of the unauthorized industrial road inside the park, Ismail stopped answering messages entirely. Upon arriving at the office at 10:00 AM, the reporting team was asked to wait under the pretense that officials were attending a meeting. By 12:00 PM, a secretary claimed that the senior officials had not been in the office since morning—a claim directly contradicted by an internal source who confirmed that both Hifzon Zawahiri and Teguh Ismail were present inside the building. Implications The unfolding situation in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park carries severe implications for Indonesia’s environmental integrity, climate commitments, and legal frameworks: Undermining Global Climate Credibility: While Indonesia markets its green energy transition to international financial institutions and global carbon markets, sacrificing a UNESCO World Heritage site to build industrial infrastructure compromises the moral and scientific validity of its "clean energy" narrative. True sustainability cannot rely on ecological destruction. Weakening of Conservation Laws: The passage of the 2024 KSDAHE Law signals an alarming pivot in national conservation policy. By lowering legal barriers for extractive industries in protected areas, the state risks setting a dangerous precedent where national parks can be systematically chipped away for commercial energy projects. Heightened Disaster and Ecological Risks: Building massive earthworks, cutting down stabilizing canopy trees, and excavating retention ponds on steep mountain slopes within a seismic zone dramatically increases the vulnerability to landslides, severe soil erosion, and flash floods. Furthermore, habitat fragmentation guarantees a decline in populations of Sumatra’s most iconic endangered wildlife. The Crisis of Accountability: The unwillingness of government officials and park management to engage with the press or share critical AMDAL documents highlights a profound democratic deficit. When institutions tasked with protecting nature choose evasion over transparency, civil society and independent journalism remain the last line of defense for public oversight. As the full investigative series by Mongabay and Betahita approaches its release, the critical question remains: Will Indonesia sacrifice its most precious ecological crown jewels in the name of green energy, or will public pressure force a reassessment of industrial intrusions into the heart of the Sumatran rainforest? Post navigation Mystery at Pink Beach: Stranded Oarfish in Lombok Sparks Climate Concerns and Debunks Disaster Myths Powering the Future: How Corporate Rooftops Can Drive Indonesia’s Clean Energy Transition
