97.76 Percent of Waste in Papua Has Not Been Managed, KLH Encourages Sorting from Source

SORONG, GARISBUMI.com – The waste problem in the Papua region is still facing big challenges. Of the waste generation which reaches 2,625 tons per day, around 97.76 percent has not been managed optimally. Most of the waste pollutes the environment, while the rest is disposed of at the final processing site using an open disposal system or open dumping.

The Ministry of the Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/Environmental Management Agency (BPLH)) through the Papua Environmental Control Center (Pusdal LH) is encouraging the acceleration of waste management by strengthening sorting and processing from the source.

This approach is needed to achieve the national target of 100 percent managed waste by 2029 as well as stopping the practice of open dumping in the Papua region.

These efforts were discussed in a cross-sector coordination forum that brought together the government, business actors, academics and communities in Sorong City, Southwest Papua, Tuesday (22/9/2026).

Head of Pusdal LH Papua, Abdul Muin, said that waste management must be placed as one of the pillars of regional development because it is directly related to public health, environmental quality and ecosystem sustainability.

According to him, the old pattern of relying only on transporting and disposing of waste must be abandoned immediately.

"We need to place waste management as one of the important regional development agendas because it is directly related to environmental quality, public health, cleanliness and sustainable development," said Abdul Muin.