Guha Mountain has been designated as a protected karst landscape area under the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 17 of 2012. However, this karst mountain, located in Leuwidingding Hamlet, Sukabumi Regency, West Java Province, has experienced significant degradation and severe damage over the past decade due to its proximity to mining areas.
Recently, a team from the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Student Creativity Program (PKM) conducted field research from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1, discovering a visibly expanding land-clearing area.Â
Forest zones once covered by diverse vegetation in 2014 have now been converted into active mining sites, which have been operating continuously until 2024.
“Our main motivation for conducting this research was the growing concern over the current level of degradation in the Guha Mountain karst area,” said Winas Hardi Havidin, leader of the PKM-RSH Karst Bersuara team, on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.
In the study on the extent of karst damage in Guha Mountain, Havidin was assisted by team members Agustina Herawati, Anindya R. Putri Alindita, Rachmanda Aquila Arkhano, and Novia Layla Handi.Â
The research, which focused on karst area management in Sukabumi, was supervised by Dr. Alia Fajarwati from the UGM Faculty of Geography (Geography UGM)
To analyze this phenomenon, Havidin explained that the team employed the Participatory Action Research (PAR) method, an approach emphasizing community engagement, supported by ethnographic studies from a cultural anthropology perspective.
“We involved residents directly in the process, using approximately 19 samples from local communities and other related parties,” he said.
Regarding public resistance to mining exploration in the karst area, Havidin stated that local residents have repeatedly voiced opposition through various actions, such as visiting government offices, engaging in stakeholder discussions, and even reporting the issue to the Sukabumi District Police.
“Unfortunately, instead of receiving protection, the community often faces pressure and intimidation to remain silent,” he noted.
Havidin further mentioned that his team has been developing several potential solutions to address the issue.Â
He emphasized that the problem goes beyond mining activities and also concerns the lack of community involvement in decision-making processes.
“At this stage, our primary strategy is to ensure justice and inclusion for local communities,” Havidin explained.
He also stressed the importance of a thorough evaluation by the government, particularly the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), regarding mining permits in the area.Â
Such an evaluation is necessary to ensure that all activities comply with applicable regulations in technical, environmental, and legal aspects.
Furthermore, Havidin revealed that local residents have not significantly benefited economically from mining operations.
“Most of the jobs at the mining sites are filled by people from outside the affected villages, so the local community has yet to experience any real economic benefit,” he concluded.
Looking ahead, Havidin hopes that policymakers will learn to prioritize environmental sustainability as a foundation for future decision-making, especially in the Guha Mountain karst region.Â
He emphasized that natural resource management should not focus solely on short-term economic gains but must also maintain ecological balance and the well-being of local communities.
“As we know, karst areas are geologically important and must be protected. It is our shared responsibility to preserve them together,” Havidin said.
Wahyudin, a representative from WALHI West Java, stated that the mining activity obtained a permit in 2021 from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Forestry through a Forest Area Borrow-Use Permit (IPPKH) issued in 2009.Â
However, he warned that several protected sites, including Situ Cipiit and small caves, are at risk of severe damage.
“We are concerned that the mining permit could lead to wider environmental destruction,” he said.
Author: Hanifah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographs: PKM-RSH Karst Bersuara Team