"Delegates from West Sumatra have carried out a study and explored cooperation with Avfall Norge and Norsk Gjenvinning in Norway regarding the solution for the waste problem," West Sumatra Deputy Governor Audy Joinaldy informed here on Friday.
Avfall Norge is an organization that focuses on waste management, while Norsk Gjenvinning is a company that provides funding for waste management programs.
According to Joinaldy, the waste problem has become quite serious in West Sumatra. For that reason, the government is seeking waste management solutions.
"In a meeting in Norway on February 14, 2023, delegates from West Sumatra discussed and directly saw the waste management activities there," he said.
Based on the discussion, the program that West Sumatra may follow up on is Avfall Norge's program, which has been replicated and implemented in Banyuwangi district, East Java.
Besides, the Clean Oceans for Clean Communities (CLOCC) program can also be replicated to tackle the problem of waste in West Sumatra.
The deputy governor said that the two parties are interested in exploring cooperation opportunities further to find waste management solutions and create a circular economy in West Sumatra.
A further discussion has been planned to be carried out online by involving several district and city governments of West Sumatra.
One of the delegates from West Sumatra, who is also head of the Governance and Regional Autonomy Bureau of West Sumatra, Doni Rahmad Samulo, said that his side has prepared the necessary steps so that the cooperation can be realized.
According to him, currently, several waste landfills in West Sumatra have almost exceeded their capacity. One of the solutions being considered is expanding the landfill areas, but that will require a huge budget and will only be a temporary solution, he explained.
Thus, other solutions are needed to tackle the waste problem. Cooperation with the Norwegian organization, especially in sorting waste before it is sent to landfills, is one of the strategic solutions that can be taken, Samulo said.
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Translator: Miko Elfisha, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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