Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro

Photojournalist and Documentary Photographer

BIOGRAPHY

Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro is an Indonesian freelance photojournalist, anthropologist, and documentary photographer based in Jakarta, Indonesia. He has a special interest in environmental crises and socio-cultural issues. He frequently works for international news agencies, media outlets, publications, and NGOs.

He received an Honorable Mention at the SOPA Awards 2024 for Excellence in Explanatory Reporting. 

In 2023, he was also a National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Triennial photographer/artist. Here he represented Indonesia alongside other artists from ten different countries around the globe in the Megacities project. 

PHOTO : The Impact of Nickel Mining on Halmahera Island

Nickel mining in Indonesia has ramped up in the past decade, and Weda Bay now accounts for 17% of global production of a metal essential for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage. Research indicates that deforestation from mining leads to longer and more frequent flooding. Air pollution from nickel smelting and coal-based energy production has also surged, with one local health center recording a 25-fold increase in respiratory diseases between 2020 and 2023