Dams cause catastrophic flooding in pristine ecosystems, habitat fragmentation in key biodiversity hotspots, and clear-cutting of native forests. At Mighty Earth we are working with a board coalition to halt the construction of two dams that threaten local communities and critical habitats for endangered species. Click on the buttons below to learn about these destructive dams and what we are doing to stop them.
Updates
Jardines Caught Clearing Forest NOW in Rare Orangutan Habitat
November 2, 2021
Mighty Earth has exposed a new threat to the rarest great ape on the planet, and the world is watching. The critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan of northern Sumatra was just identified in 2017 and fewer than 800 exist in the world, but satellite imagery from the past two weeks shows their habitat being eaten away by deforestation.
Future of orangutans in balance as company with Scottish roots searches for gold – Ian Redmond
June 21, 2021
Now is the time for the global economy to move from an extractive view of nature, where nature is seen as an ‘externality’ with a value of zero until mined or logged to a more regenerative view. Like all life on earth, including orangutans, humans depend on the ecosystem services provided by natural processes and yet they do not appear in our balance sheets.
Statement in Response to Tragic Mudslide in Batang Toru, Indonesia
May 3, 2021
Our hearts go out to the families of the people who have been killed or injured in this tragic disaster.
Dam Threatening Extinction of Tapanuli Orangutans Delayed at Least Three Years
August 3, 2020
In a win for the endangered Tapanuli orangutans, the Batang Toru dam project in North Sumatra is halted over environmental concerns.
New Analysis: Batang Toru Hydroelectric Plant ‘Unnecessary’
January 22, 2020
The dam's backers have mischaracterized, exaggerated, or manufactured much of the rationale for the project.
The Endangered Tapanuli Orangutan Loses an Ally
September 11, 2019
Statement on recent MoU between NSHE and PanEco in the name of Tapanuli Orangutan
International Orangutan Day: Meet the Most Endangered Great Ape
August 19, 2019
This International Orangutan Day, join Mighty Earth in our fight to protect the Tapanuli orangutan and sign the petition to Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Resistance Grows to US$ 1.6b Dam That Threatens New Orangutan Species and Communities
May 2, 2019
Fact-finding mission discovers growing local opposition to dam construction
Hey Mandarin! We’re not a fan–save the orangutan
March 27, 2019
This chant rang out in NYC and London, as demonstrators converged on Mandarin Oriental Hotel to call for an end to their complicity in the destruction of orangutan habitat. Mandarin is owned by parent company Jardine Matheson, whose corporate activities threaten to wipe out the world’s last remaining population of Tapanuli orangutans.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel: Save the Tapanuli Orangutan
March 20, 2019
Mighty Earth is joining the Ape Alliance and other allies in a dramatic protest against Jardine Matheson -- owner of the internationally acclaimed, 5-star Mandarin Oriental Hotels to draw attention to the precarious state of the Tapanuli orangutan, an endangered ape threatened by industrial development.
Bank of China to Reevaluate Dam Project That Threatens Endangered Orangutan with Extinction
March 11, 2019
The Batang Toru dam would permanently disrupt the habitat of the Tapanuli orangutan and would contribute to the first extinction of a great ape – our closest cousins in the animal kingdom – in all our recorded history.
Proyek Plta PT Nshe di Tapanuli Dibiayai dan Dimiliki Oleh Tiongkok
March 8, 2019
The coalition to protect the Tapanuli orangutan has only been driven by foreigners. The group, which is the state-owned Sinohydro Company, is the building company of the dam. Those promoting the construction of a falling back on the familiar patter of blaming outsiders for destruction happenings in their own countries. But the science is clear: if the dam is built, the Tapanuli orangutan will go extinct.
Indonesian Coalition Urges Government to Save Tapanuli Orangutan, Protect “Wonderful Indonesia”
March 5, 2019
The stage is set for a crucial showdown in a long-running battle to save a newly discovered rare species of orangutan from possible extinction at the hands of a planned US$ 1.6 billion hydroelectric dam project.