Examining government efforts to realise Indonesia ASRI in Papua
Jayapura (ANTARA) - The commitment to realising Indonesia ASRI (aman, sehat, resik, indah — safe, healthy, clean, beautiful) in Papua continues to be strengthened through collaboration between the government, public facility managers, and environmental communities, as environmental issues extend beyond forest conservation and biodiversity to encompass waste management.
To address the complex challenges of forest preservation and waste management arising from population growth and economic activity, robust collaboration is essential.
Waste originates from human activity, and its resolution requires collective behavioural change. Without strong systems and shifts in public behaviour, the waste problem has the potential to cause serious environmental and social impacts.
Acting Head of the Papua Provincial Forestry and Environment Agency, Yaconias Maintindom, said that waste accumulation in Papua continues to rise and requires integrated planning.
Based on population calculations across nine regencies and cities — totalling 1.07 million people in 2025 — and assuming waste production of 0.4 kilogrammes per person per day, total waste in Papua Province is estimated to reach approximately 477 tonnes per day. This substantial figure must be managed seriously by all regencies, cities, and all levels of society.
One strategic step being prepared by the government is the formulation of a waste management roadmap for Papua.
“This document will contain waste accumulation data from all regencies and cities, along with strategies for reduction, transportation, processing, and supervision. To that end, every regency and city must accurately calculate the volume of waste they manage. From this data, properly targeted policies can be formulated,” said Maintindom.
He acknowledged that the environmental sector still faces budget constraints, with some regions allocating very minimal funding for environmental management. Nevertheless, budget limitations must not serve as an excuse for inaction.
Significant change can begin with simple steps at the household level — sorting waste at its source. The continued mixing of organic and non-organic waste makes processing difficult and inefficient.
For the Papua Provincial Forestry and Environment Agency, this can start with household waste. If organic waste is separated, it can be converted into fertiliser or animal feed. Plastics and other non-organic materials can be recycled into economically valuable goods.
The key to waste management therefore remains the level of awareness and human resource capacity at the neighbourhood association (RT), community association (RW), and village levels.
The Papua provincial government has urged that village funds not be focused solely on infrastructure but also allocated towards building environmental awareness. Well-built facilities are futile if the surrounding environment is in poor condition, meaning everything must be addressed in a balanced manner.
The authorities strongly hope that village heads will also view the waste problem as a critical issue. If education reaches the grassroots level, change will come more swiftly. Moreover, nearly all local governments at the regency and city level now have waste management systems in place — the challenge going forward is to intensify these efforts.
Acting Regional Secretary of Papua, Christian Sohilait, noted that on 21 February, the province commemorated National Waste Awareness Day (HPSN) 2026 as a means of reflection and a catalyst for all stakeholders to become conscious of how to realise Indonesia ASRI in Papua.
Several measures promoted by the Papua provincial government include routine communal clean-up activities every Friday at government offices, subsequently extended to places of worship, schools, markets, villages, and coastal areas. These efforts involve clearing waterways and rivers, planting shade trees, and utilising home gardens for economically productive crops.
A remaining task for the government — at provincial, regency, and city levels — is strengthening outreach on waste sorting based on the reduce, reuse, recycle (3R) principles, which still needs to be reinforced at the household level.