Dynamics of land transformation and carbon stock loss from nickel laterite open-pit mining in Indonesia

Abstract

Global demands for nickel—a key energy transition metal—have notably risen in recent years, positioning Indonesia as the world’s major supplier. Nickel in Indonesia occurs in laterite ore deposits, and is extracted with open-pit mining, a process which induces land transformation of high carbon stock biomass sources such as forests. This study investigates the spatial and temporal impacts of nickel mining on land cover and biomass carbon stock by combining satellite imagery assessment with a national dataset of land cover classes and biomass carbon stock data from the national Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL) dataset. Focusing on the concession area between 2013 and 2022, 217 nickel mi..