969 Figure 6 – Environmental consequences resulting from illegal and informal mining activities Based on these cases, efforts must be made to ensure that informal and illegal mines are subject to strict sanctions and that mines operating in Indonesia have mining permits and pay attention to their environmental impact. The following efforts can be made: • Strengthening mechanisms for reclamation and environmental restoration There needs to be regulations stipulating that every mining operation, whether legal or informal, has a land reclamation/rehabilitation obligation and provides subsidies or technical assistance to local communities so that they can carry out reclamation. • Monitoring and early detection technology Maximise the use of satellite imagery, drones, and water and soil quality monitoring systems to detect illegal activities early on. • Community participation and environmental education Public awareness of environmental and health impacts is crucial, so communities should be educated about the dangers and impacts of illegal and informal mining activities. In addition, involving communities in local monitoring through social mapping and establishing safe local mining zones is also necessary to address illegal and informal mining in a particular area. • Strict and transparent law enforcement Imposition of severe sanctions on illegal and informal miners, including fines and responsibilities related to reclamation, as well as transparency in the mining licensing process and public participation. 6. CONCLUSION Informal and illegal mining will have a significant environmental impact, such as water and soil pollution, deforestation, erosion, loss of biodiversity, and landscape degradation. The social impact of such mining is severe, including disruption to public health, unstable income, social conflict, injustice, and a decline in quality of life. In addressing illegal and informal mining, there are several challenges that will be faced, such as weak law enforcement, lack of community capacity, lack of economic alternatives, and the absence of reclamation obligations in many illegal cases. To prevent the proliferation of illegal and informal mining, efforts are needed to implement effective countermeasures, such as strengthening mining regulations, using technology, community participation, and integrating transparent policies and law enforcement. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author expresses sincere gratitude to the World Mining Congress for organizing this Call for Abstracts and providing a platform to discuss these critical issues.
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