26 March 2025, Centro de Convenciones Cartagena de Indias, Cartagena, Colombia

At this WHO conference session, Prof. Budi Haryanto shared Indonesia’s experience in tackling air pollution challenges from waste management. He explained that the country produces around 175,000 tons of waste every day, and about 60 percent of it is mismanaged, leading to open burning, improper disposal, and severe environmental hazards. Major cities such as Jakarta (8,000 tons per day), Surabaya (2,000 tons per day), and Bandung (1,800 tons per day) are heavily affected. Jakarta is also among the most polluted cities in Southeast Asia, and highly polluted urban areas tend to have higher mortality rates. The health burden is significant, with elevated childhood asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rates. Informal waste workers are particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to toxic fumes on a daily basis.

Prof. Budi described the main pollutants from waste burning, including PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, dioxins, furans, and methane, and outlined their health impacts. These range from short-term problems such as respiratory irritation, skin allergies, and nausea, to long-term risks such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive disorders. He also highlighted government initiatives, including banning open burning in urban areas, expanding recycling programs, and developing waste-to-energy plants. His proposed solutions include promoting waste segregation and recycling to reduce open burning, improving landfill management, enforcing stricter regulations against illegal dumping and burning, and raising public awareness of sustainable waste management. He concluded that air pollution from solid waste is a serious but solvable problem, and that government action, public cooperation, and sustainable waste practices are essential for improving air quality and public health in Indonesia.

Full session available on: https://youtu.be/yV81sX90sos?si=zrFPzbAGUgLVyjUW