Lombok’s waste generation: Lombok is
facing a huge environmental challenge with regard to waste handling. Each year,
an estimated 900,000 tons of waste is generated by industry and households (0.7
kg waste/person/day). Of this, roughly 200,000 tons is collected and
transported to one of the four landfills in Lombok. The other 700,000 tons ends
up in the ocean, on beaches, in forests or are burned locally in the villages.
The generated amount of waste is expected to grow with the population to
1,000,000 tons annually by 2030.
Waste ends up in the ocean: In November
2018, a dead sperm whale washed ashore in the National Park of Wakatobi
close to South East Sulawesi. Researchers from WWF and the park’s conservation
academy found approximately 6 kg of plastic waste in the animal’s stomach
containing 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, two
flip-flops, a nylon sack and more than 1,000 other assorted pieces of plastic.
Similarly, a group of scientists collected and analysed fish from the markets and local
fishermen in South Sulawesi over four months in 2014. They found that 28% of
all fish contained plastic debris.
Tourist industry: The uncollected waste
is also a challenge for the tourist sector. The tourist sector contributes to
the generation of waste, but is also highly impacted by it – for example waste
floating up on the beaches at the hotels. The tourist sector is after the
agriculture sector one of the most important sectors in Lombok by GDP.
