"The workshop, which was hosted by two ministries involving environmental activists and NGOs, focuses on (addressing) the waste issues in Bali Province," Director of Waste Management at the Environment and Forestry Ministry Novrizal Tahar stated in Badung District, Bali, on Friday evening.
Tahar noted that the problem of plastic waste is a global issue that must be solved immediately, as Bali will host the G20 summit meeting in the near future.
The workshop will be hosted for two days, he added. It focused on attempts to free Bali from waste ahead of the G20 Summit.
His administration will address the waste issue by coordinating with the Badung district government and stakeholders, such as NGOs and environmental activists.
They also continuously reminded residents and tourists in Bali to take proper and correct actions to protect the environment.
He stated that the mindset of protecting the environment by simply not littering was a mistake. They aimed to change that paradigm in a bid to increase public awareness.
Deputy for Coordination of Environmental and Forestry Management at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment Rofi Alhanif stated that Bali will host the G20 Summit, so the hosts must ensure that the waste problem is properly addressed, so that it does not hinder the event.
"We are working hand in hand, so that during the G20, Bali will be completely free of waste and will be clean," he remarked.
Alhanif explained that his administration already has several programs in place to tackle the waste problem in Bali, such as by structuring and re-managing waste in the Sarbagita area.
For this year, they and the Bali government would build several facilities and infrastructure, specifically for waste management purposes.
"The development of facilities and infrastructure is not only in the Badung area but also in other subdistricts in Bali. This development is intended to ensure proper management of waste," he remarked.
He stated that once the facility was built, the overcapacity Suwung Landfill would be closed.
Alhanif deemed that it was important for Bali to be totally clean once the event began.
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Translator: Naufal F Y, Pande Yudha, Mecca
Editor: Sri Haryati
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