TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Indonesian government launched the Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management and Partnership (USAID SELARAS) program on July 9, 2024. This collaboration addresses shared concerns about waste management’s impact on health and the environment, including ocean and waterway pollution.

Improved waste management and recycling are expected to enhance quality of life, reduce environmental damage, and promote a sustainable future.

USAID SELARAS is a five-year program with funding of up to US$24.7 million or Rp401 billion. It aims to reduce land-based sources of marine plastic pollution and methane emissions, which is a major greenhouse gas, by supporting the development of sustainable and integrated waste management and recycling systems.

The program targets 18 districts/cities across North Sumatra, Banten, Central Java, East Java, East Kalimantan, Bali, and South Sulawesi.

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At the program launch, representatives from the 18 targeted districts/cities signed a declaration of commitment to tackling Indonesia’s waste management challenges. The signing ceremony was witnessed by officials from the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and other relevant ministries.

This declaration strengthens the commitment of these districts/cities to prioritize waste management programs and budgets, aiming to achieve various improvement targets.

“Reforming solid waste management through an integrated upstream-downstream system is critical not only for the environment but also for the well-being of our communities,” Acting Mission Director of USAID Indonesia, Mohib Ahmed, said in a press release received by Tempo on Tuesday, July 9.

“Through this new program, USAID will partner with key institutions and stakeholders to strengthen governance, expand services, enhance plastic waste markets, improve community practices, and reduce methane emissions to achieve a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Indonesia,” he added.

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Ervan Maksum, Deputy for Facilities and Infrastructure of Bappenas, emphasized that waste management reform aligns with the Socio-Cultural and Ecological Resilience development agenda outlined in the 2025-2045 National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN).

He highlighted the importance of upstream waste management, alongside downstream solutions. Positive social engineering is expected to encourage waste sorting and reduction behaviors, ultimately driving Indonesia towards a circular economy and achieving environmental sustainability.

Following the program launch by Indonesia and USAID, a dialogue event titled “Action Commitment Towards Integrated Waste Management Reform from Upstream to Downstream in Indonesia” took place. This discussion focused on strategies, best practices, challenges, and future steps in waste management.