GOLDEN SPARKLING VS FOREST

Idrus was thrilled to bits when his shovel hit the rocks. He shouted for joy. He was not the only one. Idrus and other hundreds people dug down the Meuh Mountains in Aceh’s west coast, looked for rocks that may contain a small fortune in gold, for more often, very little at all. Fueled by luck and desperation, this no-man’s land now teems with dreamers anxious to strike it rich, even if it means destroying their environment and themselves in the process.

A green dense forest in the Meuh Mountain became bald. More than five hectares were deforested and dug for gold.

The traditional gold miners could careless of the dangers, as landslides, that have killed people. They kept digging to 10 meters down, waiting for a stroke of luck. The shimmering of gold has possessed people.

One of these people was Abdul Rani who left his farming work in Eastern Aceh to try his luck in the Meuh Mountain as soon as he heard about the traditional gold mining. Many people have done the same and dug the Meuh Mountain since September 2008.

The local government has prohibited the traditional mining activity but the community did not obey. “How would we earn money if they closed the mining?” Abdul Rani uttered.

However, the price did not pay the effort. A 30 kg sack of rocks might only contain 2 grams, which could only be sold for less then 40 USD. To earn this money, the traditional gold miners had to go through a long and winding road. A narrow dirt track was the only way and they had to climb seven kilometers up to the hill.

The environmental destruction would even cost more. Had not Idrus and the others understood the consequences, however the needs for daily supplies left them with no choice. “We need money to provide food for family,” Idrus said. Idrus used to be a farmer but the floods destroyed his farm.

This is no-win situation. The community welfare has been always against environmental conservation. But the sparkling of gold apparently is more precious than the forest.