Submitted by Climate Scorecard Indonesia Country Manager Ruby Orim
The Greeneration Foundation is an NGO based in Indonesia that promotes sustainability practices and organizes programs in which people can actively make sustainable changes within communities. The foundation is funded by donors, governments, and philanthropic agencies. Their mission is to use “create harmonious environment through the implementation of Sustainable Consumption Production” by promoting eco-friendly practices within communities and challenging governments to implement green policies.
The Greeneration Foundation, partnering with other non-government organizations, operates a program called The Citarum Repair. The mission of this program is to collect and recycle waste that has been dumped in the Citarum River (one of the most heavily polluted rivers in Indonesia) to stop the waste from entering the ocean; this creates awareness of the inefficient waste systems that result in pollution and assists in building proper waste management systems.
Activities that they conduct to meet their goals for the program include: studying the local population to create a feasible plan on how to educate them about the project and its purpose; building relationships with the local authority figures; and installing a physical capture system in the Citarum River/waste collecting system. The approach of this program is to work closely with local communities and help them achieve goals of waste management. This method of implementation is sustainable because it ensures that after the Greeneration Foundation and their partners have completed their project, local communities surrounding the river are educated on waste management and can continue to maintain comprehensive practices.
It would be efficient to implement similar waste management programs in other parts of Indonesia. As Indonesia is an archipelago, it has multiple rivers and streams that lead to larger bodies of water. To improve upon the work that is being done by the Greeneration Foundation, it might be prudent to expand the focus to other rivers and communities all over Indonesia. This method of waste management is efficient because it takes into account social sustainability which is crucial in maintaining sustainable practices. This method can be applied in any other country, especially those that have a large number of local/rural populations.
Learn More
Greeneration Foundation Website: https://greeneration.org/en/