������Ƶ

The initiator and coordinator of the Indonesia Plastic Pollution Monitoring Hub, Prof. Emenda Sembiring, S.T., M.T., M.Eng.Sc., Ph.D., stated in his opening remarks that this web-based platform was established in response to Indonesia's plastic pollution crisis, with 6.8 million tons of plastic waste generated annually. This situation leads to marine pollution and environmental degradation. On the other hand, the Indonesian government has set a target to reduce marine plastic waste by 70% by 2025 through strategies such as behavioral change, waste leakage reduction, and policy reform.

He emphasized the need for standardized, intensive monitoring using effective technology in order to understand the extent of plastic pollution and to formulate effective solutions.

The hub will provide monitoring data on the quantity and types of plastic found in water bodies and oceans, as well as key locations of plastic disposal or accumulation.

“The data and analyses generated from the Plastic Pollution Monitoring Hub will support the development of data-driven plastic waste management policies, with standardized and curated data collection. This will help achieve national plastic waste reduction targets and enable the implementation of more adaptive and effective marine waste management strategies,” said the Professor from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (FCEE) ITB.

He explained that ITB has developed a new monitoring strategy focused on the quantity and types of plastic, utilizing UAVs (drones), artificial intelligence (AI), satellite imagery, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance monitoring efficiency. A total of 16 types of plastic waste can be detected, including plastic bags, bottles, jerry cans, eating utensils, and others. This strategy will be applied to collect data that will be displayed and made publicly accessible.

Monitoring activities will be conducted by seven universities and the Oceanography Research Center of BRIN across eight rivers: Citarum (ITB), Sail (University of Riau), Kapuas (Tanjungpura University), Jeneberang (Hasanuddin University), Penet (Udayana University), Batang Kuranji (Andalas University), Wai-Batu Merah (Pattimura University), and Cisadane (BRIN).

Prof. Emenda stated that the platform provides more detailed data, such as the time of data collection, evidence from drones and satellite imagery, and the identity of the data uploader—ensuring that data sources are clear and accountable.

Meanwhile, the Director of Community Service and Expertise Services at ITB, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Zulfiadi, S.T., M.T., stated that through this program, ITB is realizing its vision as a 4th Generation University—a world-class, independent institution that leads change for sustainable national development through the integration of education, research, community service, as well as multidisciplinary entrepreneurship and innovation, to produce holistic solutions that combine the humanities, arts, science, technology, and business.

He emphasized that the waste issue is not only Indonesia’s problem, but a global one. This initiative is one of the efforts to monitor and assess the reduction of plastic pollution. “I invite all of us to see this initiative not merely as a technical or academic project, but as our moral responsibility to future generations. Our children and grandchildren deserve to inherit clean rivers and oceans, free from plastic pollution,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rofi Al Hanif, Assistant Deputy for Circular Economy and Environmental Impact at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, stated that the Coordinating Ministry has been coordinating several key issues, one of which is marine waste management—an initiative that has been ongoing since 2018, starting under the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment.

This initiative between the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs and academic institutions through the Indonesia Plastic Pollution Hub is expected to provide up-to-date data on the distribution of plastic waste, which can serve as input for both national and regional governments, as well as for public awareness campaigns and policy-making for prompt action on the issue.

"With this scientific model, we hope to identify the sources of plastic waste, understand where it ends up, and determine how to mitigate it," he said. Prior to the launch of the Indonesia Plastic Pollution Hub, three workshops were held, covering: an explanation of monitoring results; updates on AI and the latest version of the Indonesia Plastic Pollution Monitoring Hub website; and a training session on Plastic Index analysis using satellite imagery.

The launch of the Indonesia Plastic Pollution Monitoring Hub marks a significant step in the collective effort to address the plastic pollution crisis in Indonesia. Through collaboration among various universities, BRIN, and the utilization of advanced technologies, the platform is expected to provide accurate, standardized, and accessible data serving as a moral responsibility and a commitment to leave behind a clean and healthy environment for future generations.

Translator: Indira Akmalia Hendri (Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota, 2021)