Kedonganan Beach and Jimbaran area in Bali are now facing the threat of garbage shipments that damage natural beauty, adversely affect the marine ecosystem and the tourism sector which is the mainstay of Bali.
To overcome this problem, the Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency together with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries held a Marine Debris Cleanup Action at Kedonganan Beach, Jimbaran.
This program is part of the Sea Love Month, as a form of cross-sector collaboration to handle waste problems more quickly and in a structured manner.
8,500 Participants Clean the Beaches
This action was attended by more than 8,500 participants and became a symbol of a shared commitment to preserving the environment. The Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, emphasized that this challenge requires a joint solution.
According to MedCom, “This is a global challenge that requires collaborative solutions. Today’s action sends a strong message to the local and international community that marine sustainability is a shared responsibility,” said Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq.
In this event, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Wahyu Trenggono, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ni Luh Puspa, as well as representatives of friendly countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Norway, Denmark, and UNDP Indonesia were also present.
In addition, the environmental care community, students, entrepreneurs, and local communities also participated.
Indonesia-UAE Tackles Shipment Waste
As a concrete step, trash boom assistance was handed over to 14 rivers in Bali as an effort to tackle consignments. This tool is the result of cooperation between the Government of Indonesia and the UAE, supported by UNDP Indonesia and Clean Rivers.
“We continue to strengthen the integrated waste management system, especially to overcome the consignment waste which every year becomes a serious threat to Kedonganan Beach and its surroundings,” he said.
In addition, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry handed over dump trucks to Badung Regency, while the Ministry of Environment and Forestry provided three-wheeled motorcycles and garbage collection canoes to the local community. Data shows that shipment waste in Bali is estimated to reach 6,000 tons during 2024-2025, higher than the previous year.
Clean Tourism Movement
This program is also part of the collaboration between Indonesia and the UAE which focuses on river waste management, plastic waste reduction, and community empowerment. Rivers in Bali, West Java, Central Java, and East Java are priorities in this project. Hanif also reminded the importance of public awareness to support environmental sustainability.
“This collaboration is not only about technology, but also an effort to build public awareness to support environmental sustainability,” Hanif concluded.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism focuses on the Clean Tourism Movement program in 8 pilot tourist destinations, including Bali, to improve the quality and attractiveness of Indonesian tourism.
This movement aims to form a clean waste ecosystem and increase hygiene awareness. This movement is also part of Indonesia’s efforts to improve the tourism and travel development index, especially in health and hygiene aspects, which are currently ranked 89th out of 114 countries.
Ni Luh Puspa appreciated the cleanliness management carried out in several tourist destinations in Bali, such as Taro Village and Monkey Forest in Gianyar Regency, which can be an example for other destinations.
Antarabali reported, “Monkey Forest and Taro Village have a good waste management system so that we can imitate it in other areas and then we can intervene or help improve management,” he said.
Sources: Antara Bali, MedCom
Image: via AntaraNews///Dewa Ketut Sudiarta Wiguna
