Enviro News Asia, Denpasar — Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to end open dumping practices in Bali by closing the Suwung landfill on March 1, 2026. The move is aimed at safeguarding public health, environmental sustainability, and the competitiveness of Bali’s tourism sector.
Speaking at a coordination meeting at the Bali Governor’s Office on Monday (December 29), Minister Hanif urged regional leaders to demonstrate strong political will in complying with national regulations that prohibit open dumping. He described the closure as a critical turning point for Bali to align world-class tourism with equally high environmental standards.
To manage the transition, the minister instructed authorities to accelerate readiness at the Landih landfill in Bangli as a temporary destination for waste from Denpasar and Badung while the Bali Waste-to-Energy Facility (PSEL Bali) is being completed. Only residual waste will be permitted at Landih, underscoring the need for upstream waste reduction through community participation and mandatory sorting by businesses and residential areas.
Minister Hanif warned that Indonesia’s national waste handling rate remains at just 26 percent, making decisive local action imperative to prevent environmental degradation and public health risks. He also emphasized that the development of the Landih site must be supported by adequate infrastructure and full environmental approvals, calling on the provincial government to finalize all technical and permitting requirements.
Optimism was highlighted through the success of the community-based waste facility TPS3R Sapu Jagat in Desa Gulingan, which the minister visited prior to the meeting. The facility, recognized as the top TPS3R in Badung in 2025, integrates recycling and composting with eco-educational tourism and is expected to serve as a model for other regions.
The planned closure marks not merely the end of an open dumping site, but a broader vision to position Bali as a national pioneer in modern, sustainable waste management for future generations. (*)
