Mr. Hidayat Syah and Dr. Puruhito described the successes of greening and composting programs in Surabaya, and their revised plan to promote 3R activities, increase human resources and advocate for legislation to improve the urban environment. 

1. The City

Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya covers 326km², and is located on the northern shore of Java, 674 kilometers east of Jakarta. Its population rises from 2.8 million people at night, to up to 5 million people during the daytime. 

Community-based waste self management is promoted to decrease waste at its source, each household sorting wet and dry waste. Wet waste is processed into compost and dry waste is sold to waste collectors, or as materials for recycling. In each local community, environmental ‘cadres’ are responsible for motivating and mobilizing citizens to improve the greening and cleanliness of the area. The cadres numbered 25,197 at the end of 2008. The Cleaning and Gardening Department works with NGOs to provide assistance to the community programs. 

Waste management problems faced include the limited space at the landfill; the low awareness of the community concerning littering; illegal waste disposal by the many sidewalk markets; product packaging that cannot be recycled; lack of knowledge on the 3Rs and simple waste disposal technology; and lack of enforcement of waste disposal laws. Law enforcement and regulations at the local level are also required to promote and maintain urban beautification.

One of Surabaya’s 14 compost processing plants

Surabaya does, however, have extensive composting facilities which draw high public participation. The city is recognized nationally for such activities, which are disseminated to other cities in Indonesia. The Cleaning and Gardening Department of Surabaya City Government has built 14 composting houses around the city. At the household level, citizens use the Takakura Basket (named after its Japanese designer) for making compost. Neighborhood greening projects are also promoted by the Mayor of the city (see Newsletter no. 51, p. 9 & p. 20). It is these which formed the focus of the Action Plan by Mr. Hidayat Syah at the First 2008 Workshop. With strong leadership, other towns and cities can follow waste separation strategies to improve the urban environment.

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2. Action Plan Progress

In Surabaya, annual inter-district competitions in cleanliness and greening activities are held. The Action Plan for the city aimed to increase community participation in the competitions by creating 3 specific programs in 1) drainage cleanliness; 2) development of green areas; and 3) waste composting. All of the city’s 31 districts initially took part, which will be gradually short-listed to 10, and then 3 districts. Competitive participation has been encouraged by the media and citizens, and the competitions judged by the local university, NGOs and Surabaya City Government. The Mayor of the city rewards those districts which are successful in greening activities with the ‘Mayor Challenge Trophy’. After one year of the plan’s implementation, 1,832 citizens were participating in the competitions.

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3. Proposed Action Plan Revision

The reformulation of the Action Plan at the First 2009 Workshop targets the improvement of city cleanliness through increased control of waste management and citizen participation in managing their environment. Under the plan, sanitation and 3R programs are promoted, and human resources in waste and sewage management sectors will be increased. Legislation on littering and cleanliness is to be applied to protect the environment of public facilities and the urban area (such as the anti-smoking law enacted in central Kobe). Composting and other waste control methods will be further promoted to ease the burden on the city’s final disposal points, and current urban greening projects will be expanded. Slum areas too, will be revitalized by improved employment opportunities to dwellers, through programs to manufacture bags and accessories from recycled materials.

Surabaya Time Frame for Revised Action Plan: August - December 2009

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