He referred to the interconnected global challenges of climate change, pollution, and waste during a cleanup and tree-planting event along the Cikeas River in Bogor, West Java, held to commemorate National Waste Care Day 2026.
"Our country is caught in the vortex of the triple planetary crisis, which has become a concrete challenge we face daily rather than a distant global issue," Hanif stated.
He cited data from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which shows that global temperatures have risen by 1.4 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial era.
"This trend significantly affects tropical countries like Indonesia, exposing us to extreme rainfall, hydrometeorological disasters, floods, and rising sea levels that are increasingly becoming the new normal," he added.
Hanif also highlighted Indonesia's persistent waste management problem, particularly the condition of rivers across the country.
"Since I took office, I have not found a single river completely free of trash, whether plastic or other waste," he remarked, calling for collective efforts from upstream to downstream to curb marine debris.
He further pointed to the government's National Plastic Action Plan as part of concrete measures to address environmental challenges.
On the same occasion, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Deputy Secretary General Hazuarli Halim said protecting the environment is both a moral and religious responsibility.
"It is mandatory for all of us to maintain balance in the natural environment that God has created," he stated.
Hazuarli added that the MUI has declared littering, including in water bodies, as forbidden, emphasizing the importance of promoting a religious approach to waste management to enhance public awareness of environmental cleanliness and sustainability.
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Translator: M. Fikri, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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