The transition to clean energy is pressuring mineral-rich countries like the Philippines and nickel mines like Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp. to dig even more.

What was once a natural source of water has become a place that Palaweños stay away from. Residents worry that a nickel mine’s plan to expand would contaminate other waterways.

A nickel mine is on the brink of a major expansion in Mt. Bulanjao, a rainforest system considered by indigenous peoples as their ancestral home and protected by a Palawan conservation law.

Mining in Palawan has pitted indigenous peoples against tribal leaders who have allowed big companies to mine their ancestral lands. The mental anxiety and stress brought by these conflicts also have a cost.