Multiplier effects on the Bombana goldfields

In 2008, Bombana District of Southeast Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia experienced a dramatic influx of artisanal miners following the chance discovery of alluvial gold in the uplands of the Tahe Ite and, later, Langkowala rivers. As stories of the golden bounty spread, a flood of prospectors arrived in the area – some local, many of them opportunistic, temporary migrants from other regions of Indonesia – and began working the alluvial gold fields within the river systems. In months, there was said to be a ‘sea of people’ (lautan manusia) streaming into the area as thousands of hastily constructed prospecting camps sprung up along fifteen kilometres of the main channel of the Tahi Ite River and then expanded into other areas. At its peak, an estimated 60,000 people were issued local panning licenses. The governor at the time declared the bounty a sign of the grace and blessing of Allah.