On 2 February, in occasion of World Wetlands Day, Source International publishes a new video documenting its latest mission in Sulawesi, Indonesia, one of the world’s most important regions for nickel extraction and processing.
The video offers a visual journey through Sorowako and Morowali, where wetlands, rivers and lakes play a crucial role for ecosystems and local livelihoods, but are increasingly threatened by mining and industrial activities linked to the global electric vehicle battery supply chain.
The footage was collected during the May 2025 field campaign we carried out in collaboration with Friends of the Earth Japan and WALHI South Sulawesi, as part of an ongoing environmental and human rights assessment in the region. During the mission, researchers collected water and sediment samples downstream of mining sites and industrial parks.
Laboratory analyses revealed widespread heavy-metal contamination, with particularly alarming concentrations of nickel, chromium, cobalt and manganese in sediments and surface waters. Some values largely exceeded national and international environmental quality standards, confirming severe pressures on fragile wetland ecosystems and on communities living nearby.
By releasing this video on World Wetlands Day, we want to highlight the often-overlooked connection between wetland degradation, resource extraction and global supply chains, and to reinforce the need for stronger environmental oversight and corporate accountability.
More information and the full scientific report can be found here.
