The Head of the Surabaya City Public Relations Section, M. Fikser, in Surabaya on Saturday, said the award was given to coincide with the 2018 "World Habitat Day" which falls on October 1.
"The Scroll of Honor Award is the highest award given by UN Habitat to countries, cities, organizations and individuals who are considered meritorious and have a contribution in realizing a humane and sustainable city," he said.
Fikser said based on data obtained from UN Habitat, the "Scroll of Honor Award" was initiated since 1989. "The award has been given to five figures or agencies in Indonesia. The mayor of Surabaya is the sixth," he said.
The five figures or institutions are the State Savings Bank (BTN) received in 1994, Public Works Minister Radinal Moocthar in 1997, Prof. Johan Silas for the dedication of research, handling and providing affordable housing for the poor obtained in 2005.
"Prof. Johan Silas was a lecturer at the mayor`s office while studying at the ITS (Sepuluh November Institute of Technology) first. So, the story is that teachers and students both get the highest award from Habitat UN," he said.
In addition, the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta for the improvement of slums and the provision of new infrastructure to make an inclusive cosmopolitan city received in 2005, and North Sumatra Governor Tengku Rizal Nurdin (Posthumous) over the handling of the earthquake and tsunami in Nangroe Aceh Darussalam Province and North Sumatra Province .
?According to him, the award given by UN Habitat to the mayor of Surabaya for the assessment of urban waste management in Surabaya is capable of being a pioneer as well as a barometer of change, especially how urban waste management is carried out together with the community.
One of them is the "Surabaya Green and Clean" program which has been started since 2005 to date. The program that has been running uninterrupted for 13 years is one of the elements that received attention until finally the City of Surabaya was considered capable of doing waste management properly.
"Actually, the basic concept of the `Surabaya Green and Clean` program is very simple, namely inviting people to sort waste in their homes. This election is to invite the public to realize that garbage is not only part of the government`s responsibility, but the responsibility of all Surabaya City residents, "he said.
In addition, he further stressed that the city of Surabaya also has a "Merdeka dari Sampah" program, better known as MDS, which began in 2006. At first glance, this program looks similar, but when viewed more closely, it is not the same.
"These two programs are also able to work with the private sector, so that the problem of waste management in the city of Surabaya is the responsibility of all elements in the city of Surabaya," he said.
?Not only the two programs, e continued, the city of Surabaya has also started to use waste as an energy source or better known as "Waste to Energy" in the Benowo Final Management Site (TPA) and is currently able to generate electricity of 2 MW from the target 9 MW.
"This then inspired national policies to manage waste and convert it into electricity can be done in other cities in Indonesia," he said.
In fact, since 2015, the city of Surabaya has developed the former Keputih landfill into the largest public space in the East Surabaya area. This development also aims to restore the condition of the land, so that it can be used again by the citizens of Surabaya City.
"In the development of the former Keputih TPA, the Surabaya City Government is also supported by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing," said Fikser.
While in the same environment as part of the development of the former Keputih landfill, the Surabaya City Government is also developing the former Creative Public Space of the Keputih Incinerator.
"If this one gets support from UN Habitat and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC). Which mayor may also be the President of the UCLG period 2018-2020," he said.
Reporting by Abdul Hakim
Editing by Eliswan Azly
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
