West Sumbawa, 29 July 2025 - From coconut husks once considered waste, new hope is now growing for the people of West Sumbawa. Together with local residents, PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMMAN) is greening former mining lands and fostering a new, inclusive, and empowering economy. This community-based reclamation initiative serves as an example of how environmental sustainability can go hand in hand with community welfare.
Weaving Partnerships, Building Economic Independence
In the early stages, erosion control on steep slopes in reclamation areas relied on imported jute nets. However, an idea emerged to utilize more sustainable local resources over time. Coconut husks and arenga palm fibers, two abundant natural materials around the mining area, were then processed into coconet and ijuk blankets, which proved effective in holding erosion, even on highly inclined terrains.
Seeing the great potential of local raw materials, AMMAN took further steps through training and mentoring programs for communities around the mine. The communities were invited to develop businesses producing coconet and ijuk blankets, two previously underutilized products that now have high economic value.
Coconut husks, once discarded, are now processed into products of economic value in the hands of skilled communities. Rarely touched ijuk fibers now have a selling value. AMMAN acts as the main buyer in this partnership scheme, guaranteeing a market for newly established local businesses. Some entrepreneurs have even started exploring markets outside the AMMAN ecosystem, indicating promising competitiveness and economic resilience.
The training includes technical skills, business management, and quality control, including an understanding of quality control standards to ensure consistent and sustainable products. For AMMAN, this is not just a business relationship but a long-term social investment in building community independence.
By the end of 2024, coconet and ijuk blankets had been applied to a reclamation area of 799.53 hectares, and their utilization continues to increase with the expansion of mining reclamation coverage.
Inspirational Stories from Empowering Women
One inspiring story comes from Jereweh, where housewives are empowered as workers to make ijuk blankets. Amidst their roles in managing households and raising children, they now contribute to driving the local economy through additional income. Women's empowerment has proven to be key in building resilient and independent communities.
"Through this AMMAN program, we housewives can earn significant additional income," said Fatimah, one of the working mothers in Jereweh. "More than that, we are taught how to transform materials once considered less useful, like coconut husks and ijuk, into beneficial goods with high economic value. This is very valuable knowledge and makes us feel more empowered," she added. This empowerment model is managed through community coordinators who now run formal business entities and employ local residents. This scheme creates jobs, increases family income, and creates a ripple effect for community welfare.
Also, the skills in producing coconet and ijuk blankets are systematically passed down through intergenerational training, ensuring the program's sustainability while preserving local knowledge.
Looking to the Future: Sustainability and New Potential
Kartika Octaviana, Vice President Corporate Communications AMMAN, stated that the community-based reclamation program is not just a temporary project.
"The community-based reclamation program is part of AMMAN's long-term commitment to create sustainable value for communities around the mine," she said.
She added, "We not only focus on environmental recovery but also on building local economic capacity that will continue, even after the mine's operational period ends. The program's scale also continues to grow, for example, in Maluk, the coconet supplier partner has increased its production capacity by adding coconut fiber spinning machines to meet the continuously growing demand."
Innovations continue to be developed. Although the primary use of coconet and ijuk blankets is still reclamation, AMMAN and the community have begun to explore other derivative products, such as ant sugar from palm sap, ijuk brooms, and even alternative fuels from coconut husks. The cultivation of local parent plants also strengthens conservation efforts.
This story proves that reclamation is an obligation and a space for collaboration and transformation. From waste to blessing, and from partnership, a greener and more independent future is born.
