Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Educational Forest of Universitas Mulawarman in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, has once again fallen victim to illegal mining activities. The 3.2-hectare environmental destruction within the academic zone is not the first of its kind. This time, the land encroachment took advantage of the Eid holiday, when there were no academic activities on campus.
The Universitas Mulawarman Educational Forest holds the status of a Special Purpose Forest Area (Kawasan Hutan Dengan Tujuan Khusus, KHDTK), officially managed by Universitas Mulawarman (Unmul). Since 1974, this forest has been used as a site for conservation, research, and environmental education.
A group of students discovered the illegal activity when they came to conduct research in the forest on April 5, 2025. To their surprise, five heavy excavators were already operating there, conducting illegal coal mining. The students immediately raised objections. Similar protests were also made by lecturers and other academic community members, who reported the environmental damage to the Law Enforcement and Environmental Protection Agency for Forestry and Environment (Gakkum LHK) in the Kalimantan Region.
“We have submitted a report,” said Rustam Fahmy, a lecturer at the Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Mulawarman, on Monday (April 7, 2025).
Following the report, the five excavators used for mining have left the site. However, the damage left behind is severe, with several gaping holes across the area. This is not the first incident of its kind—similar encroachment occurred in August 2023, and although it was reported, no action has been taken to date.
East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud quickly responded to the incident by conducting an unannounced inspection of the mining site. He condemned the act as not only illegal but also disruptive to the educational ecosystem.
“This is clearly illegal activity that causes harm. It seriously hinders Universitas Mulawarman in fulfilling its research and educational functions,” Rudy stated on Monday (April 7, 2025).
