Jumhur Hidayat's Strategy to Tackle Waste Crisis and El Niño
JAKARTA — The Minister of Environment Jumhur Hidayat is targeting the resolution of the national waste issue by 2028 at the latest, relying on government interventions and community-based innovations. On the other hand, the government is also strengthening mitigation measures to face the threat of El Niño, which has the potential to trigger forest and land fires.
Jumhur stated that the government has mapped at least 36 agglomeration areas, each producing more than 1,000 tonnes of waste per day. These areas are prioritised for handling due to the large volume of waste generated and the environmental impacts caused.
“This is underway. We will continuously evaluate how far the progress is to make it a reality as soon as possible. We are pushing because this is urgent and the amount is substantial,” said Jumhur after the handover of the Minister of Environment position, on Wednesday (29/4/2026).
He added that the government will conduct strict supervision through an integrated scheme and ensure effective cross-sectoral coordination. However, the approach is not only top-down but also opens space for community initiatives.
One highlighted aspect is the processing of waste into refuse-derived fuel (RDF), described as a community innovation. This technology is considered capable of reducing the waste burden while opening new economic opportunities.
“RDF is a work of the community. It can even create thousands of jobs starting from the sub-district level. The results are good; it can be used as fuel, bricks, paving blocks, and so on,” he said.
According to Jumhur, the government will continue to encourage community movements in waste management, including through policy support and facilitation so that local ideas can develop into large-scale solutions.
He is optimistic that with the commitment of the central government and support from across ministries, the target for resolving the waste problem in 2028 can be achieved. “This is a national priority programme. All ministries will certainly work towards a solution,” he said.