IO – Environment and Forestry (LHK) Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar points out that waste management in Indonesia is still inferior. This message was contained in a speech, read by LHK Deputy Minister Alue Dohong in the 2022 National Waste Care Day (HPSN) commemoration Monday (2/21/2022). Siti was unable to attend the event in person.
“Poor waste handling activities are still often seen, such as open burning of garbage and improper waste disposal,” Alue said.
At a community level, people have not been managing waste optimally. For example, methane gas produced by garbage piles in the landfills has not been utilized, and paper waste recycling is still a bare minimum.
This is regrettable because waste is one aspect that highly contributes to producing greenhouse gas emissions that eventually speed up global warming. “Waste byproducts are a greenhouse gas sector harmful to the atmosphere and detrimental to life,” explained Alue.
The Government has implemented various measures to overcome this problem, one of which is Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 97/2017 on National Policies and Strategies for the Management of Household Waste and Similar Household Waste. In the Perpres, waste production in Indonesia is targeted to be cut 30 percent by 2025.
To realize this vision, Alue invites the public to contribute by reducing the amount of our waste and improving the method of garbage disposal. He also urges the community to start waste management from the neighborhood (RT) to urban village (Kelurahan) levels.
He believes that waste management in the smallest community unit and greening neighborhood streets will significantly curb greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environment.
The main event of the 2022 HPSN also featured six success stories of environmental management from Climate Village Programs (ProKlim), including ProKlim Wanagiri Village in Buleleng Regency, ProKlim Amahusu Village in Ambon, ProKlim Lenteng Agung in South Jakarta, ProKlim Gunung Ibul Barat in Prabumulih, ProKlim Sepinggan Village in Balikpapan and ProKlim Lingkungan Lipu in Majene.
The LHK Ministry also inaugurated four ProKlim villages in Gianyar Regency, namely, Taro, Sukowati, Ubud and Batuan, and presented its highest commendation to the Gianyar local government of Bali Province, for actively mentoring the ProKlim villages.
At the closing event, a hybrid exhibition of waste management was introduced in the “National Waste Care Festival.” The exhibition will feature various stakeholders, representatives from climate villages, waste banks and social forestry. They are expected to support the Government, local governments, communities and other related parties in managing waste comprehensively, so climate change control can be realized. The exhibition is scheduled to run from June to December 2022 and is expected to be a new platform for more advanced ProKlim collaborations in the future. (eka)