Consultation and dissemination workshop of the “Floating and Drifted Marine Plastics in Mangrove” pilot project successfully took place in Jakarta on 7 November 2024. The project focuses on critical locations in Deli Serdang Regency and Balikpapan City, Indonesia.
On 7 November 2024, the Consultation
and Dissemination Workshop on Setting up a Model for Sustainable Community-led
Plastic Waste Management in Mangrove Areas in Indonesia took place from 09:30
to 16:00 Jakarta Time gathering relevant national and international
stakeholders.
The event featured notable
participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Environment of
Indonesia, the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency, and the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Additionally,
local government agencies from Balikpapan Municipality, Deli Serdang Regency,
East Kalimantan Province, and North Sumatra Province alongside various academic
institutions and NGOs, contributed their expertise to the dialogue.
In his opening remarks, the Director
of the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, Mr Reo Kawamura,
stated: “This workshop serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, allowing us
to collaborate, learn from one another, and strengthen national efforts to
protect mangroves from plastic pollution. By encouraging innovative solutions
and fostering collective action, we can drive forward meaningful progress in
preserving mangrove ecosystems in other parts of Indonesia and beyond.”
This event was part of a broader
initiative arising from the “Comprehensive Environmental Cooperation
Package on Climate-Biodiversity Conservation-Circular Economy Nexus,”
established between Indonesia and Japan in August 2022. Under this agreement,
the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, in collaboration with
Japan NUS, launched the “Pilot Project of Floating and Drifted Marine Plastics
in Mangrove” in January 2023, focusing on critical locations in Deli Serdang
Regency and Balikpapan City.
Throughout the workshop, participants
shared insights gained from the pilot project, which aims to support mangrove
conservation by mobilising local communities for clean-up activities across Indonesia. The
discussions highlighted the severe impact of plastic pollution on these vital
ecosystems, which serve as natural
filtering systems that can control various forms of pollution, acting as carbon
sinks and reservoirs, reducing adverse impacts of climate change, and providing
protection from natural disasters.
This initiative marks an important
step towards addressing plastic pollution in mangrove ecosystems and reinforces
the collective responsibility to preserve these essential habitats for future
generations.
