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Jakarta gubernatorial candidates lack concrete waste strategies, says Walhi
Walhi criticizes Jakarta gubernatorial candidates for the lack of specific strategies to address the issues of city waste management and water supply.
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Buildup: Workers from the Jakarta Sanitation Agency remove garbage from the Ciliwung River near the Manggarai sluice gate in South
Jakarta on Tuesday. The waste was carried down the river by heavy rains in Greater Jakarta on Monday. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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akarta gubernatorial candidates still lack a concrete strategy to reduce waste buildup in the capital city, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has said
Waste buildup refers to the total volume or weight of waste generated by an area within a specific period. According to the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN), Jakarta’s waste accumulation reached 3.14 million tonnes in 2023.
The waste volume in Jakarta previously rose from 2 million tonnes in 2019 to 3.05 tonnes in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it temporarily declined to 2.35 million tonnes in 2021, only to surge to 3.11 million tonnes in 2022.
“We need an approach that can reduce waste buildup,” Walhi Jakarta campaign coordinator Muhammad Aminullah told a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday, as quoted by Tempo.
Aminullah noted that of the three candidate pairs competing in the Jakarta election this year, only Ridwan Kamil-Suswono, No. 1 on the ballot, had included a waste management strategy. The candidate pair encourage household recycling but fail to target product manufacturers who contribute the most to waste generation.
"Producers are instead offered incentives," Muhammad said.
These incentives could also become a new financial burden for Jakarta as they are funded by the city budget, which would indirectly place the burden on residents.
The No. 2 candidate pair, Dharma Pongrekun-Kun Wardana Abyoto, have proposed environmentally friendly waste management technology. However, they have yet to clarify how this strategy will work technically.
“When we face an issue of ever-increasing waste buildup, recycling alone is not enough,” Aminullah said.
Meanwhile, candidate pair No. 3, Pramono Anung-Rano Karno, have highlighted the development of waste-to-energy power plants (PLTSa). In addition to reducing waste buildup, they promote PLTSa as an alternative electricity source for the public.
During a press conference on the Pulihkan Jakarta YouTube channel on Oct. 28, Aminullah also noted that the candidates lacked concrete strategies to address water issues.
Based on the candidates’ stated visions and missions, Walhi observed that their proposals did not include efforts to restore water quality.
“There isn’t much to discuss here, as none of the candidates include concrete strategies to tackle water issues, even though they claim they will manage water independently,” Aminullah said.
