Waste management solution<\/p>\n
As a consultant working for the government of Indonesia, the
\nWorld Bank, the ADB and bilateral agencies for the past 15 years
\nin Indonesia, I was staggered when I read the article entitled
\nCity plans to use incinerators to handle waste in The Jakarta
\nPost, 20 Aug. 20.<\/p>\n
The article announced that the Jakarta Administration (DKI)
\nsee the future of waste management in incineration technology.
\nEveryone in the local government waste management business knows
\nthat there is a long and twisted history of the use and failure
\nof this type of technology in this country.<\/p>\n
It has always involved high capital investment, a failure to
\nunderstand the type of waste, a failure to recognize waste as a
\nresource, an inability to understand the pattern of incentives
\nworking and more importantly a failure to recognize that there
\nare social and environmental reasons why local residents living
\nnear such facilities eventually say enough is enough. If this is
\nnot clear to DKI Jakarta officials just ask them about the Bojong
\nfiasco.<\/p>\n
The government has just spent more than a million dollars
\npreparing a sustainable waste management solution for the
\nJabodetabek region which involves three regional landfills
\ncombined with community based programs to avoid, recycle and
\nreuse waste. This solution can be implemented for considerably
\nless than the more than US$100 million that will be required for
\nthe \"burn it-belch it\" technology of yesteryear.<\/p>\n
In order to adopt this sustainable approach, the issue of
\nwaste management in the Jakarta region should be considered an
\nissue of national importance as there are now three provinces
\ninvolved and even the regional autonomy law dictates the use of
\na regional partnership approach in such a situation. Only
\nconcerted national level action can prevent another tragic waste
\nof taxpayer resources.<\/p>\n
Non-sustainable or \"quick fix\" decisions about infrastructure
\nor technology solutions taken without a clear understanding of
\nbroad scale outcomes, and the relationship to the system as a
\nwhole, hampers our ability to achieve coordinated, integrated
\nsolutions.<\/p>\n
DOUGLAS MARTIN
\nSocial and Environmental Consultant
\nJakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/waste-management-solution-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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