Banyuwangi regency administration is using the world event as a good opportunity for collaborative efforts to enhance the quality of waste management around Alas Purwo National Park, where Plengkung Beach is located.

Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani explained that G-Land was situated in Alas Purwo National Park that has been declared part of the world’s biosphere reserves and it has applied for UNESCO Global Geopark status.

The area is home to many rivers. Banyuwangi regency administration, in collaboration with NGO Sungai Watch and local residents are collaboratively cleaning up rivers and streams in the national park.  

“This is a concrete example of how tourism serves as an umbrella for various programs of regional development.  It is like the proverb that goes ‘Sekali merengkuh dayung, dua tiga pulau terlampaui’ [Killing two birds with one stone]. While the surfing, or sport tourism, is in progress, at the same time we move to clean up the rivers, build quality infrastructure in stages, enhance human resource quality, care for local wisdom and, of course, propel people’s economic activities,” said Ipuk on Tuesday.

Sungai Watch is an NGO operated by Gary and Sam Bencheghib, well recognized for their actions in cleaning up rivers in Bali. Initially they cleaned up plastic waste on Bali’s beaches, they have continued to clean up river trash by engaging river safeguarding volunteers.

“We have started to clean up waste in rivers in Alas Purwo. We focus on cleaning up trash in rivers by preventing the trash, particularly plastic waste, from reaching to the sea. We are supported by the Banyuwangi administration and WSL operators to clean up G-Land,” said Gary in a talk with Regent Ipuk.

Gary pointed out that they would clean up waste along a 15-kilometer coastline for a week. They would target dozens of points in the river cleaning-up drive in the Alas Purwo National Park, with Sungai Watch and local residents actively involved in the drive.

They have set up about 20 nets in the rivers to clean up the trash there. As of the third day, they had managed to clean up at least 3 tons of waste.

“We have gone down the river for three days, we have seen plenty of waste drifting to the sea.  Plenty of organic and non-organic waste, mostly household trash, was found. There was also plenty of plastic waste and a great volume of styrofoam was found here and there and everywhere,” Gary said.

“Based on the tentative results of a study, the identified waste comes not only from Banyuwngi, but also from other regions,” he said.

“Alas Purwo is not inhabited, but it has plenty of waste and so it must come from other areas. Currently, there seems to be no paradise free of waste,” he added.

“The competition also runs alongside a joint environmental campaign wherever we are,” Regent Ipuk said.

No residents live in Alas Purwo, but household waste can be found on the coast. “The waste must come from outside. That’s why we should safeguard our environment wherever we are,” she said.

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