Pela Village– The flagship CSR program of PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), namely the Mahakam Dolphin Endemic Conservation, abbreviated as Mahakam Dolphin Comic, located in Pela Village, Kota Bangun District, Kutai Kartanegara, received a visit from the Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, on Thursday (3/7/2025). The Mahakam Dolphin Comic Program is a community empowerment initiative that develops a tourism village centered on dolphin conservation, having received various national and international awards.

The visit was attended by the Governor of East Kalimantan, Rudy Mas'ud; Kutai Kartanegara Regent, Aulia Rahman Basri; Resident Representative of UNDP Indonesia, Norimasa Shimomura; Deputy Regional Director of UNEP for Asia Pacific, Marlene Nilsson; PHI President Director, Sunaryanto; PHM General Manager, Setyo Sapto Edi; along with the ranks of central and regional government agencies. The ranks of the government and the community of Pela Village welcomed this visit enthusiastically. The Mahakam Dolphin Comic Program has been running since 2018, focusing on protecting the Mahakam Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), an endemic aquatic animal of East Kalimantan that is now Critically Endangered (CR). Its population is estimated to be only 64-70 individuals, requiring serious attention from all stakeholders. Therefore, PHM runs this program through a collaborative approach between companies, communities, academics, and the government.

One of the key innovations in this program is the Acoustic Pinger, a tool that utilizes ultrasonic waves and is installed on fishing nets. This tool is used by adjusting ultrasonic waves at a frequency of 50-120KHz with a noise of 125 decibels, which can then be captured by the dolphins, so that they can stay away from fishing nets or gillnets as far as a radius of 10-20 meters. This technology has been proven to reduce the death rate of Mahakam Dolphins due to gillnets from 66% to 0% around Pela Village.

In his speech, the Indonesian Minister of Environment confirmed his commitment to utilize all available authorities, instruments, and resources to save the Mahakam dolphin from extinction and improve the welfare of the community. "I will use my authority according to the mandate given by law to protect and preserve the Mahakam Dolphin," he said.

According to him, based on all the natural resources in this area, the condition of the Mahakam Lake Area is very representative of the triple planetary crises. The use of space and natural resources in this area must be balanced with efforts to conserve, protect, control, supervise, and utilize them sustainably. "I support Pela Village as a Conservation Village and educational tourism for biodiversity in the Mahakam Lake Area, especially the Mahakam dolphin, by the Regulation of the Minister of Environment Number 29 of 2009 concerning Guidelines for Biodiversity Conservation in the region," he said.

On the same occasion, PHI President Director Sunaryanto stated that the development of Pela Village as a conservation-based tourist village through the Mahakam Pesut Comic Program is part of the implementation of the company's commitment to managing the performance of upstream oil and gas operations that apply the principles of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG). "In this program, the company synergizes aspects of biodiversity and community impact," he explained.

This flagship CSR program, continued by Sunaryanto, also aims to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Goal 14 on Maintaining Marine Ecosystems.

"At PHI, we implement social and environmental innovation in various Company CSR programs, including in this Mahakam Pesut Comic program, so that it can provide a significant and sustainable impact on the community around the operational area," said Anto, as he is familiarly called.

The Mahakam Pesut Comic Program is run through five phases: initiation, strengthening, development, replication, and independence (2018–2026). This includes tourism training, construction of the Fishermen's Museum, waste management, and the issuance of village regulations on conservation. On this occasion, PHM General Manager, Setyo Sapto Edi, handed over solar-powered Public Street Lighting (LPJU) assistance to the Pela Village community.

"The Mahakam Pesut Comic Program is real proof that synergy between companies, communities, and the government can have a significant impact. In addition to the conservation of rare species, namely the Mahakam Pesut, we also encourage community independence through sustainable tourism and basic infrastructure such as the LPJU that we are handing over today," said Setyo.

To date, PHM's flagship CSR program has led Pela Village to receive various national and international awards, such as the 2024 National Kalpataru, the 2023 Global CSR Award (Vietnam), the 2023 Responsible Business Award, Reuters (English), and was selected as a member of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme.

PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) is a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI), which manages upstream oil and gas operations and businesses by the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the Mahakam Working Area in East Kalimantan. Through collaboration with SKK Migas, PHM, together with other PHI subsidiaries and affiliates, implements innovative Social and Environmental Responsibility programs in the fields of Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support sustainable community empowerment and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This innovative corporate social responsibility (CSR) program is expected to inspire various parties to work together to preserve Indonesia's nature and biodiversity. PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.