The Bukit Barisan mountain range running through Aceh Province contains exceptionally rich deposits of valuable metal minerals, including copper, silver, iron ore, and gold. Gold mining areas are distributed across remote districts like West Aceh, Geumpang (Pidie), Central Aceh, and South Aceh. This mining potential acts as a high-value extractive economic asset capable of financing public facilities and regional power infrastructure.
Despite this immense mineral wealth, mining in Aceh faces strict environmental and biodiversity preservation challenges. Most of these reserves are located in steep mountainous terrains of primary protected forests near the boundaries of the Leuser Ecosystem. This demands the implementation of international eco-friendly mining practices (*green mining*), strict regulation of hazardous chemicals like mercury to prevent river contamination, and enforcement of legal permits ensuring complete reclamation of ex-mining sites.
The regional government is committed to balancing extractive mining investments with sustainable environmental conservation. This is crucial to ensure that economic prosperity from Aceh's natural resources does not jeopardize future generations with ecological disasters resulting from the degradation of protected forest ecosystems.
Location & Address: Mining areas in West Aceh, Pidie (Geumpang), and Central Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia. Google Maps
References & Sources: 1. Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office of Aceh Province. (2022). *Statistics on Precious Metals and Strategic Mineral Reserves in the Region*. 2. Indonesian Association of Geologists (IAGI) Aceh Branch. (2021). *Geological Characterization of Epithermal Gold Deposits in Acehnese Mountains*. 3. Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) Evaluation on Mining Sites, Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) Aceh. (2020).
* Segala informasi kemungkinan ada yang salah atau kurang. Jika Anda ingin berkolaborasi untuk melengkapi atau memperbaiki informasi, silakan hubungi kontak yang tersedia.
