Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands

Coastal region and small island papers 12: papers

REDUCING MEGA CITY IMPACTS ON COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS: COMMUNITY-BASED WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE JAKARTA METROPOLITAN AREA, INDONESIA

by S. Fazi,* N. Wirjoatmodjo,* S. Bebassari,** S. Selvaratnam*

Introduction

This paper reports on the key ‘Wise Practices’ identified during the implementation of the UNESCO-CSI interdisciplinary pilot project in Jakarta Bay and the Seribu Islands. In particular it focuses on community-based solid waste management in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area (JMA). The project started in 1985 with the scientific collection of data on the status of the coral reefs in Jakarta Bay and the Seribu Islands. As Jakarta solid waste strongly affects the status of the coastal ecosystem, the project proceeded in two directions after 1996: firstly, a Seribu Islands component with coral reef monitoring - research, educational and socio-economic activities for fisher communities; and secondly, a Jakarta component to achieve better local community waste management through waste sorting/recycling, educational and alternative income-generating activities in selected pilot project sites (see CSI papers 6). 

Description of conflict situation 

Jakarta Bay is located to the north of Jakarta. It is a rather shallow bay (average depth 15 m) that covers an area of about 514 km². The Seribu Islands are an archipelago within Jakarta Bay, which consist of 108 small islands.  These islands are distributed as a chain of offshore islands stretching along some 80 km in a northwest - southeast direction. With the expansion of the JMA during the second half of last century, the environments of Jakarta Bay and the Seribu Islands have been increasingly affected by a range of human and natural impacts, including pollution, natural ecosystem transformation, non-sustainable coastal resource exploitation and coastal erosion. Three of the 108 Seribu Islands have disappeared in the last 15 years. 

Solid waste pollution is one main area of concern. Inadequate collection, transport and disposal of solid waste have significant negative economic and ecological impacts. In 1996/1997, daily garbage production in Jakarta was about 25,578 m³. It is estimated that 40% of the solid waste generated daily does not reach official disposal sites. While a large percentage of the waste is disposed into waste channels and rivers causing pollution, clogging of water channels and consequently flooding, a small percentage is disposed of on vacant land and/or burned. As the 13 rivers flow through the JMA, they pick up large amounts of solid wastes (approximately 1,400 m³ per day). Although 300m³ of waste is collected daily from the rivers, 1,100 m³ escapes collection and flows directly into Jakarta Bay. In 1985 and 1995 UNESCO coordinated a survey on the extent of solid pollution on 24 islands belonging to the Seribu archipelago. The results of the survey indicate that the total litter onshore has increased twofold during the last ten years and has reached islands located further away from the shoreline (60 km offshore).

The lack of awareness and education among the population in the Jakarta Bay area is a key factor for the degradation of the coastal environment. It is very rare for the general public to be informed of the linkages between inland waste activities and the environmental quality of the rivers and sea. The lack of concern for the disposal of waste and its final destination is high among all the different components of Indonesian society. Recently, solid waste disposal is becoming an area of concern for national and local governments. Thus, most of the budget for coastal management in Indonesia is allocated to dealing with pollution, which includes solid waste management. Although the local and national institutions made an attempt to include local communities in this process very few successful case studies have been reported up to date. The UNESCO-CSI pilot project in Banjarsari, is one of the best examples of a kampung in which residents have begun to change their attitudes towards waste management. In-depth analysis of the Wise Practices identified during this pilot project will indeed assist in the finding of new sustainable solutions for community based waste management that could be applied in other areas of Jakarta.

Conflict resolution

The inland component of the project has three areas of action.  These are: 1) development of a working model for waste management at the local community level; 2) development of a working model for organic waste management at the local market level; 3) environmental education and introduction of waste management and recycling principles to students, youth and community groups. 

1)   Model for waste management in local communities 

UNESCO is working together with local institutions and NGOs in Jakarta in order to develop a working model for an ‘Environmental Friendly Kampung’ (village). The activities are focused on: a) establishment of an environmental committee at the community level; b) improvement of the waste collection system (sorting of waste); c) capitalization on waste through alternative livelihood activities (paper recycling, composting, production of medicinal plants using locally produced compost as fertilizer); d) greening programmes; e) public awareness. As a result of these activities, community perceptions and methods of waste management have begun to change in the pilot project areas. In early 2000, UNESCO launched a competition to design bins for sorting waste. From the submissions received, five waste bin prototype designs were selected, constructed and tested in Kampung Banjarsari in order to receive feedback from the community and the scavengers.  Meetings and training sessions were organized to orient the entire Kampung and scavenging populations on the new waste collection system. Once the new collection system is fully operational, it will represent a model that can be replicated in other communities. Banjarsari is becoming an example of an environmentally friendly kampung for other communities from different parts of the country. Representatives from other communities, students and women’s organizations have already started to visit Banjarsari to be trained in waste management and recycling.

2)   Model for organic waste management for traditional markets 

Composting centres using local organic waste were established in two markets in order to reduce the quantity of waste produced.  Market personnel are presently selling compost, which is used as fertilizer for medical plants. Training on waste management was organized for market vendors and buyers. There was a 40% reduction of organic waste in each market in the first three months of the programme. 

3)   Environmental education 

Study tours for community leaders and students are regularly organized to show them the condition of the coastal environment, and to provide them with an understanding of the relationship between inland waste production and its effects on the worsening condition of the local rivers and sea. The study tours are always combined with panel discussions on possible solutions. Training courses on waste management, composting, recycling, marketing of recycled products and co-operative management have been regularly carried out. Usually these training sessions include a visit to one of the pilot project sites to directly show the participants the results of its activities. Often it is the communities in these pilot areas that directly provide training to other communities. Training sessions are concluded with discussions on how to adapt these activities to the participants’ areas of residence.  Training and environmental education courses are also organized in schools. In some schools the students have already started a new school waste management system including composting in the school garden.

Wise practices based on conflict resolution

The 16 characteristics of Wise Practices are taken into consideration to identify the following practices, which could contribute to solid waste management.  These practices will also assist in developing activities in other areas of the country.

1)      In order to improve solid waste management in Jakarta all activities should be planned within an integrated, interdisciplinary and long-term framework. Studies conducted as part of the project suggest that it is important to start from the daily waste sources (communities, households, market, etc.) in order to reduce the amount of waste production. It is at this juncture that communities in Indonesia could play an important role. A strong community based approach is, therefore, necessary to improve the waste management system for the JMA. Since these new systems always require changes in the daily attitudes of people, the programme has to focus on long-term impacts to the community.

2)      In order to mobilize the local community we found out that it is necessary to integrate educational activities with community action in the field. Identifying a small core group from among the residents of the community is the first process in establishing an Environmental Committee (EC). The EC should be representative of the entire community (i.e. women, men, youth, local authorities, etc). With the assistance of external experts and special training sessions, the EC will be in a position to mobilize and share information with other community members. This brings an internal transfer of ‘know-how’ within the community that facilitates the mobilization of its most reluctant members. In order to be successful the community needs to understand the importance of the project through short-term results. Due to the heterogeneity of the community in our pilot site, some parts of the community is stimulated a by the better quality of life (i.e. clean and green the kampung) and others by economic incentives (i.e. alternative generating activities from the recycling products, selling of compost, etc).

3)      In order to assure the community of a sense of ownership for the project it is important to start from the ‘know-how’ already present in the community and then enhance the community capacity with external experts’ inputs. It is important, however, that the experts facilitate a process through which community ‘know-how’ is utilized in the development of technical innovations. The competition for designing waste bins in the JMA is a good example of the collaboration between local community members and technical experts.

4)      In order to enhance the participation of the community in the new waste management system, project results have to be shared and explained to the local community so that they feel proud of their accomplishments.  Our pilot site in Banjarsari is becoming quite famous in Indonesia as one of the more environmentally friendly Kampung. The receipt of national awards and reports in newspapers, radios and televisions also increased the visibility of this Kampung. Numerous visitors already visited the Kampung and received training on waste management. This has resulted in creating a sense of pride amongst local community members and has also facilitated the participation of other members of the community. 

5)      Environment education study tours for youth and students are mainly focused on the understanding of the relation between the land, river and the sea and bringing students to Jakarta Bay and the surrounding area. The study tours are always combined with panel discussions on possible solutions. Environmental education and training courses for the communities within the project pilot sites are essential to enhance the community participation and familiarization of the new waste management system. One of the first priorities should be to educate children’s groups.  By educating children, parents too become informed about waste management, which gradually leads to a change in their attitudes. Environmental education for the adults must take an integrated approach and involved all the actors in the waste management (community leaders, decision makers, scavengers, men, women and children). Each member of the community, therefore, has a stake in effective waste management. In order to give the right perspective to the management system it is important that the training focuses on the entire process of waste management starting from the house/school to final station. Training of other communities through visits to the pilot project site (transfer of knowledge from community to community) is also very important in disseminating the results. 

6)      Partnerships with media/journalists and the organisation of workshops, public awareness campaigns and exhibitions are essential for the dissemination of results to the larger general public. The involvement of local and national authorities in all the phases of the project helps not only in the implementation phase of all project activities but also in the dissemination of the results and possible replications of an environmentally friendly kampung concept in other regions of Indonesia. 

7)      The documentation of the activity is also essential. It is important to record the process (from planning to implementation) and to generate a model that could be replicated in other areas. The model should be presented to the local and national institutions. At present a manual that explains the implementation of the new waste management system in a simplified manner with examples of field experiences which will assist in disseminating information is being prepared.

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