Bali, 16 October 2026 – The Government of Indonesia, through the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today launched the Partnership for Preventing Riverine Plastic Pollution (Sungai Lestari) Programme in Bali. Supported by Clean Rivers, a UAE-backed foundation taking action at the nexus of water and waste, the initiative strengthens collaboration to improve waste management, prevent plastic pollution from entering rivers and protect Indonesia’s coastal and marine ecosystems.

The launch, marked by a mangrove clean-up activity, highlights the connection between waste management on land, healthy coastal ecosystems and Bali’s long-term sustainability. As a major international tourism destination, Bali depends on healthy marine environments not only for biodiversity, but also for the livelihoods of coastal communities and the resilience of its tourism economy.

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan said this conservation efforts are essential to safeguarding Indonesia’s vast blue carbon assets: 3.46 million hectares of mangroves and 660,000 hectares of seagrass meadows. He noted that waste polluting rivers and coastlines can damage these ecosystems as well as the food sources that depend on them.

“Waste such as plastic, fabric, and even paper is very difficult to break down and prevents roots from growing, disrupting the life around them. Rivers are where aquatic life such as shrimp, crabs and fish thrive. If there is a lot of waste, these species will die and cannot grow back. Clean rivers, on the other hand, allow them to flourish,” said Zulkifli.

“The future of Indonesia’s food is determined not only by what we grow in our rice fields and farmland, but also by what we cultivate, harvest and protect in our seas,” he concluded.

In Bali, the Government is advancing major investments in downstream waste treatment, including the planned waste-to-energy facility in Denpasar. Sungai Lestari complements these efforts by addressing waste leakages before it reaches the sea. By strengthening waste prevention, segregation, collection untreated waste at the river and recycling the waste before reaching to final disposal, the programme promotes a system and integrated approach to improve sustainable waste management.

“Bali’s natural beauty, from its rivers and mangroves to its coastal waters, is central to the island’s identity, the well-being of its communities and its thriving tourism economy. Better waste management also presents an opportunity to turn waste into value, creating income-generating opportunities and livelihoods for local communities and waste workers. UNDP stands ready to support Indonesia and the leadership of Bali’s provincial and local governments in advancing locally driven solutions, strengthening community participation and exploring innovative financing to sustain these efforts. Together, we can contribute to Indonesia’s national ambitions by protecting Bali’s natural heritage and supporting community livelihoods for generations to come,” said Sara Ferrer Olivella, UNDP Indonesia Resident Representative.

A key feature of the programme is its performance-based financing mechanism, which links funding for civil society organizations (CSOs) to independently verified results based on the amount of waste recovered and properly diverted from the environment. This approach strengthens accountability and helps identify effective solutions to improve local waste management. Community engagement and behaviour change initiatives will also encourage more responsible waste practices and reinforce shared responsibility for protecting rivers and coastal ecosystems.

Sungai Lestari operates across five priority locations in Indonesia: Bekasi, Surakarta, Surabaya, Sidoarjo and Bali, with Tukad Badung in Denpasar City and Tukad Mati in Badung Regency serving as pilot sites in Bali. Building on implementation in Surabaya and Surakarta since May 2026, the programme has already removed 492 tonnes of waste from four rivers, mobilizing four Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), 55 waste banks, 1,200 women and 20 urban villages, in collaboration with local environmental agencies.

The programme’s initial implementation covers areas along rivers where more than 54,000 residents live, creating opportunities to strengthen local waste management and reduce the risk of pollution affecting surrounding communities and ecosystems. Since October 2026, implementation has also expanded to Bekasi and Sidoarjo, with a combined waste management target of approximately 5,066 tonnes through 2027.

Through Sungai Lestari, the Government of Indonesia, UNDP and Clean Rivers are advancing locally driven solutions that connect waste management with broader environmental and development priorities. By tackling plastic pollution from source to sea, these efforts aim to protect ecosystems, support sustainable livelihoods and safeguard the natural assets that are essential to Indonesia’s blue economy.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Nabilla Rahmani, Head of Communications, UNDP Indonesia

Nabilla.rahmani@undp.org