Sustainable rehabilitation of post-mining land through community-driven ecological practices in Bangka Belitung, Indonesia

Abstract In Bangka Belitung, Indonesia, extensive tin mining has left thousands of mining pits (kolong), nutrient-poor sandy soils, and severely degraded ecosystems. This paper analyzes a community-driven rehabilitation initiative in Sinar Jaya Jelutung Village that seeks to restore abandoned mining land while securing sustainable livelihoods. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis to examine ecological improvements and collective action’s social drivers. Results show that villagers, organized through local farmer groups, manually cleared land, constructed simple bunds and drainage channels, and applied locally available organic amendments, particularly cattle manure supplied through a government livestock program, to rehabilitate roughly eight hectares of ex-tin-mining land. These gradual measures improved soil aggregation, stabilized water supply, and enabled continuous wet-rice cultivation, with recorded yields averaging 4.8 t ha −1 and peaking at 5.1 t ha −1 . Equally significant, strong kinship ties, reciprocal labor arrangements, and trust-based networks mobilized labor and resources, while bridging and linking relationships facilitated access to external inputs and technical guidance. A hybrid governance arrangement, combining community initiative with enabling but non-directive state support, allowed local actors to adapt external resources to site-specific ecological conditions. Yet persistent challenges, including insecure land tenure, overlapping permits, and unstable market channels, reveal that technical soil improvements alone cannot guarantee long-term sustainability. The case demonstrates that successful post-mining restoration in tropical landscapes depends on the synergy of ecological techniques, social capital, and supportive policy frameworks, offering a transferable model for sustainable post-extractive development across Southeast Asia.