961 CHALLENGES AND SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF INFORMAL AND ILLEGAL MINING W. Setiono1 1Geo Mining Berkah, Indonesia wisnuset7423@gmail.com ABSTRACT Informal and illegal mining is a serious problem in many developing countries, including Indonesia. These activities not only cause a loss of local revenue and widespread environmental damage, but also have significant social impacts. The absence of permits, supervision, and guarantees for reclamation and postmining activities makes this practice a threat to environmental sustainability and social stability. This paper discusses the main challenges and environmental and social impacts of illegal mining, as well as the importance of law enforcement and community empowerment to overcome these issues. The government must create regulations and enforce them so that illegal miners do not carry out their illegal activities. The issue that needs to be considered is why illegal mining is still convenient and why they are reluctant to go through the licensing process. Of the 66,593.18 hectares of small-scale mining area, only 62.31 hectares are mined legally. In Indonesia, law enforcement efforts are being promoted involving all elements. Eliminating illegal mining is not as easy as turning one's hand. There is a role played by the government, which is slow to complete regulations and mining documents in small-scale mining areas, there is a role played by unscrupulous officials who protect illegal mining, and there is a role played by the mining community, which does not obtain mining permits.. KEYWORDS Illegal, Environment, Law 1. PENDAHULUAN Mining is a vital sector for economic development in many countries, especially those with abundant natural resources like Indonesia. However, behind its contribution to economic growth, informal and illegal mining practices have created a variety of complex issues. Informal mining refers to small-scale activities conducted without official permits, which often serve as a primary source of livelihood for local communities. Meanwhile, illegal mining is carried out in defiance of existing regulations, typically ignoring sustainability principles and legal aspects. Field findings reveal that these miners are often funded by wealthy backers from major cities. This contradicts the fundamental concept of "community mining" (tambang rakyat), which should ideally be initiated by the local people themselves. I have personally observed community mines in Mamberamo Raya and Pohuwato, Gorontalo, being financed by wealthy individuals from Jakarta. They implement profitsharing schemes, typically ranging from 50% to 80% for the financier. The licensing process is often initiated by these backers, who persuade locals with promises of large profit shares. These actors generally fall into three categories: the majority who refuse to process mining permits, a small group that attempts to process permits while continuing illegal operations, an even smaller group that processes permits and refrains from mining until legal. Unfortunately, obtaining permits is extremely difficult, partly due to the absence of required reclamation and post-mining documentation.
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