Government expands Mahakam dolphin protection with two additional conservation villages
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- Indonesia has added two villages in Kutai Kartanegara to its Mahakam dolphin conservation program, expanding community-based habitat protection.
- The Environment Ministry says safeguarding the critically endangered Mahakam Irrawaddy dolphin requires cross-sector collaboration and tighter pollution control.
- The government is also preparing a biodiversity credit scheme and encouraging the public to report suspected environmental violations in the Mahakam area.
The Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has designated Muhuran village in Kota Bangun district and Sabintulung village in Muara district, Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan, as Mahakam Irrawaddy dolphin conservation villages, adding to Pela village, which was named earlier. In a statement issued on Saturday (Feb. 7, 2026), the ministry said the move is part of the government’s effort to protect biodiversity, particularly the Mahakam Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), which is listed as critically endangered, within the Mahakam Aquatic Conservation Area. Rasio Ridho Sani, deputy for pollution and environmental damage control (PPKL) at KLH/BPLH, said the dolphin is not only a protected species but also an indicator of the Mahakam River ecosystem’s health.
“For that reason, conserving its habitat must be done collaboratively, involving the government, the business sector, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and local communities,” he said, as quoted in the ministry’s statement.
The ministry said the lake system and the Mahakam River form a vital ecosystem that serves not only as dolphin habitat but also supports other species such as proboscis monkeys, otters, herons and other aquatic wildlife. It added that the Mahakam waters also play a strategic role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
In the ministry’s statement, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said all activities in the Mahakam area — including fisheries, water transport, plantations, mining and tourism — must be managed responsibly to avoid damaging the Mahakam dolphin’s habitat. He also called for stronger waste and wastewater management along the Mahakam River and its lakes to prevent pollution and maintain habitat quality.
The ministry also said it is opening the widest possible access for public reports on suspected pollution or environmental damage, which it will follow up through law enforcement mechanisms. It added that the government is currently preparing the development of an integrity-based biodiversity credit scheme that benefits local communities.
The government hopes the Mahakam dolphin conservation area can become an example of sustainable biodiversity management, delivering fair and equitable benefits from nature and the environment, and serving as a model for cross-sector collaboration to protect the environment.
Indonesianpost.com | Republika
