The non-governmental organizations (NGO) Nexus3 Foundation from Indonesia and Arnika from the Czech Republic have launched a new project aiming to help with controlling and fighting industrial pollution in Indonesia. The goal of the three-year project, which is co-funded by the European Union (EU), is to establish an NGO network for pollution monitoring in the country and thereby boost the role of civil society in preventing toxic pollution and its impact on human health.
In the last decades, air, water, and soil pollution with associated health consequences and premature deaths have been on the rise in many Indonesian pollution hotspots. The pollution stemming from economic and industrial growth has not always been paired with adequate regulations that would prevent harm to health and the environment. The experts from the project see a possible solution in the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR), which is already used in Europe, as a tool for Indonesia to address pollution.
“A Pollutant Release and Transfer Register is a very special database showing quite clearly the pollution released by point source polluters, and industrial facilities in particular. It has helped to substantially reduce the amount of pollutants released in many countries. We believe that it is a very good tool for Indonesia to address pollution, and we are very excited to work with our Indonesian colleagues on promoting this good practice and tool,” explained Jindrich Petrlik, head of Arnika's Toxics and Waste Programme.
The environmental health impacts on local communities and their scale are widely underreported. Civil society lacks the tools to change this. Therefore, an important focus of the project, in addition to establishing a monitoring network and demanding systematic changes in pollution control, is increasing the ability of Indonesian citizens to collect, access, understand, and use data on toxic pollution in policy dialogue.
“This project is highly appropriate for the current situation in Indonesia, especially in the context of the monitoring of hazardous waste and toxic pollution by civil society and the community that is affected,” said Yuyun Ismawati, Senior Advisor of the Nexus3 Foundation. “In many cases, the monitoring and observation reports of civil society helped push the government to respond and tackle the pollution immediately. The project will strengthen the positive community contributions to prevent the adverse effects of pollution,” added Ismawati.
The three-year project “Transparent Pollution Control in Indonesia,” which runs from March 2021 until February 2024,received financial support from the EU. “Sustainable production should be a cornerstone of economic development anywhere in the world. Everybody, from producers to consumers, needs to contribute to the green transition. In the EU we are rolling out the Green Deal policy for that. It will make our society carbon-neutral and sustainable by 2050. This project will bring together EU and Indonesian civil society and policymakers to share best practices and exchange know-how from Europe to Indonesia,” said EU Ambassador to Indonesia Vincent Piket.
“As a representative of the National Development Agency, I really welcome this initiative. This project is fully in line with what we are doing through government programs and mega projects. My hope is that this project will help control pollution so that ‘brown issues’ (ensuring clean water and air, and safe waste management) will increasingly appear on the radar. I feel that lately, brown issues have been left behind,” said Dr. Medrilzam, Director for Environment in the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS). “We at Bappenas have included a related agenda in the 2020-2024 national mid-term development plan to prevent environmental damage through several preventive measures such as monitoring, establishing solid institutions, and strong law enforcement. Support from civil society will strengthen the achievement of national development goals.”
“The initiative to develop Transparent Control of Pollution with the PRTR approach comes at the right time for Indonesia. Like it or not, in the future Indonesia must face an increasing threat of pollution, including hazardous toxic materials which mainly come from industry,” said Ahmad Ashov Birry, Trend Asia Program Director. “Disclosure of pollution information using the PRTR approach can help reduce so-called ‘B3’ pollution from hazardous and toxic materials, and at the same time, encourage industry to continue to innovate towards cleaner production. Further, the disclosure of pollution information will also encourage active community participation and establish proactive communication between stakeholders, including industry,” added Ashov.
“As a society, we must seek information about pollution conditions from various sources. With this civil society initiative, we hope that there will be synergy with the government because people have the right to know which activities are happening around them, as well as their impacts and risks,” said Nur Hidayati (Yaya) from WALHI Nasional. “Based on our experience, in Indonesia, it is not sufficient to have only the government oversee industrial activities that have an impact on the environment and public health. We welcome this project and we are ready to work together to improve environmental health in Indonesia,” added Yaya.
Disclaimer: This article was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Arnika Association and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Notes:
Arnika, a Czech non-governmental organization, focuses on nature conservation, toxins and waste management, and public participation in decision-making on environmental issues. The organization cooperates with a number of partners around the globe to provide a better and healthier future for as many as possible, regardless of the geographical location.
Nexus3 (Nexus for Health, Environment, and Development) Foundation works with all stakeholders to promote safeguards for the public, especially the vulnerable population, from the impact of development on their health and the environment and towards a just, toxics-free, and sustainable future.
