Environmental management requirements and practices in river-based artisanal and small-scale sand mining: a case study from the Progo River, Indonesia

Authors: Octaviano, HA; Rogers, P; Weldegiorgis, FS; Lawson, L; Octavya, PE Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_131

Cite As:
Octaviano, HA, Rogers, P, Weldegiorgis, FS, Lawson, L & Octavya, PE 2026, 'Environmental management requirements and practices in river-based artisanal and small-scale sand mining: a case study from the Progo River, Indonesia', in AB Fourie, G Boggs, J Heyes & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2026: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-16, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_131



Abstract:
Sand is extracted in greater volumes than any other mineral resource, with global consumption reaching approximately 50 billion tonnes annually. In Indonesia, artisanal and small-scale sand mining (ASSM) accounts for 94% of national sand production. However, the implementation of environmental management requirements by formally permitted operations remains poorly understood. This study investigates environmental management and post-mining land rehabilitation in a formally permitted ASSM operation on the Progo River in Yogyakarta Special Province, Indonesia. Drawing on content analysis of the operation’s environmental management and monitoring document, semi-structured interviews with 4 miners from the same mining group and 3 environmental consultants, and direct field observations, the study compares documented obligations with onsite practices across all operational stages. Three patterns emerge. First, the environmental management and monitoring document primarily serves as a permit requirement rather than an operational guide: once the permit is issued, miners rarely consult it and operational decisions revert to miners’ own experiences and judgment. Second, several requirements are too generic; drawn from broader mining contexts rather than designed for the specific conditions of river-based sand extraction, they lead to predictable gaps between formal requirements and operational realities. Third, post-mining governance is the weakest stage: a site visit 5 months after expiration of the permit found that none of the formal closure requirements had been fulfilled. Despite these gaps, miners demonstrated practical environmental management, including onsite oil containment, topsoil storage and return, and conversion of ex-mining areas into productive fishponds and farmland. These community-driven practices are not captured in the regulatory document. This study concludes that improving governance in river-based ASSM requires technical guidance tailored to on-the-ground conditions, monitoring approaches suited to a dynamic river environment, and stronger post-mining obligations with defined outcomes and timelines.

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