ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) disbursed a loan to Indonesia amounting to US$ 500 million to support the program to reduce plastic waste in the sea.
ADB Director for Indonesia Jiro Tominaga said that the presence of large amounts of plastic waste in the sea not only endangers livelihoods in coastal areas, but also reduces overall climate resilience.
“ADB is pleased to be able to partner with Indonesia to reduce marine waste and at the same time promote the development of the blue economy,” he said in an official statement, Friday, May 24 2024.
Jiro explained that the program to reduce marine waste will focus on supporting Indonesia’s National Action Plan for Handling Marine Waste which aims to reduce the flow of plastic waste into the ocean by up to 70% by 2025.
ADB supports the program even though the Global Plastic Treaty, an international initiative designed to tackle plastic pollution through a legally binding agreement, is currently still being negotiated.
“ADB remains firmly in support of Indonesia’s National Action Plan for Handling Marine Debris, targeting holistic management of various factors that contribute to the discharge of plastic into the sea,” explained Jiro.
He said that Indonesia’s coastal areas are very important areas for marine tourism and fisheries, which make a major contribution to the economy. However, uncontrolled plastic pollution poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems, causing damage of up to US$450 million annually and threatening tourism revenues worth up to US$3 billion.
In addition, plastic waste in waterways increases the risk of flooding and damages the fishing industry and people’s livelihoods. Plastic pollution also threatens human health through contamination of the food chain, especially for low-income households.
The Indonesian government is committed to reducing 70% of plastic waste in the sea by 2025, through the collection, processing, recycling and reuse of solid waste, which is implemented through the National Action Plan for Handling Marine Waste.
According to Jiro, by the end of 2022 there had been a decline of 35% from the level in 2018, showing good progress, but also showing the need to accelerate reform to reach the 70% target.
For your information, the marine waste reduction program targets three main areas, including handling downstream waste management, implementing upstream interventions to reduce plastic waste production, and supporting important elements needed for the overall success of reform. (AT Network)
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