336 Regions Declared Waste Emergency: Analyzing Ministry of Environment Decree No. 2567/2025

Executive Summary

On October 13, 2025, the Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Control Agency of the Republic of Indonesia, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, issued Ministerial Decree No. 2567 of 2025 concerning Areas with Waste Emergency (Daerah Dengan Kedaruratan Sampah). This decree designates 336 districts and cities throughout Indonesia under waste emergency status requiring immediate intervention.

This designation implements Article 15 Paragraph (3) of Presidential Regulation No. 109 of 2025 on Urban Waste Management Through Waste-to-Energy Processing. The decree provides a comprehensive picture of critical waste management conditions in Indonesia, where more than half of all districts and cities face serious problems with inadequate waste management mechanisms.

Background and Context

Indonesia faces significant challenges in urban waste management. With a population exceeding 270 million and increasing urbanization rates, national waste generation reaches tens of millions of tons annually. The absence of adequate waste management infrastructure in many regions has resulted in widespread open dumping practices that continue to this day.

Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management mandates that waste management must be carried out systematically, comprehensively, and sustainably. This law also requires every region to have a final processing site (TPA/Tempat Pemrosesan Akhir) managed according to applicable technical standards. However, field implementation shows significant gaps between regulatory mandates and actual conditions.

Presidential Regulation No. 109 of 2025 on Urban Waste Management Through Waste-to-Energy Processing provides a new framework for urban waste handling. This regulation opens opportunities for waste-to-energy processing as an alternative solution while authorizing the Minister to designate locations meeting waste emergency conditions.

The issuance of Decree 2567/2025 represents the first step in identifying and mapping priority areas requiring urgent intervention. This decree serves as the basis for central and regional governments to develop more structured and targeted waste management strategies.

Definition of Waste Emergency

The Ministerial Decree clearly defines waste emergency in its First Dictum. Waste emergency is defined as the occurrence of waste generation and accumulation in large quantities due to inadequate waste management mechanisms.

"Kedaruratan Sampah merupakan terjadinya timbulan dan timbunan sampah dalam jumlah besar akibat mekanisme pengelolaan sampah yang tidak berjalan secara memadai, sehingga berpotensi menimbulkan pencemaran dan/atau kerusakan lingkungan serta gangguan kesehatan masyarakat."

This condition potentially causes serious impacts including environmental pollution and ecosystem damage. Furthermore, unmanaged waste accumulation can cause public health problems through disease spread, groundwater contamination, and air pollution from open waste burning.

This definition emphasizes that waste emergency is not merely a matter of waste volume but rather systemic failure in management mechanisms. This approach provides a more comprehensive perspective in understanding the root causes of waste management problems in Indonesia.

Criteria for Waste Emergency Designation

The Second Dictum of Decree 2567/2025 establishes four criteria used to identify areas with waste emergency. These criteria are alternative in nature, meaning a region can be designated under waste emergency status if it meets one or more of the following criteria.

First criterion: Regions without a final processing site (TPA). The existence of a TPA is basic infrastructure that every region must have to process waste in a sanitary manner. Regions without TPAs certainly cannot manage their waste according to standards established by legislation.

Second criterion: Regions not implementing waste management according to legislation and still conducting open dumping activities. Open dumping or open waste disposal without processing constitutes a serious violation of waste management provisions with high environmental and health risks.

Third criterion: Regions with waste management performance scores through the Adipura program of 60 or below. The Adipura program is a performance evaluation instrument for urban environmental management administered by the Ministry of Environment. Scores below 60 indicate very poor waste management performance.

Fourth criterion: Regions currently under administrative sanctions related to waste management. The imposition of administrative sanctions indicates that the region has been proven to have committed serious violations in waste management and has not made adequate remediation.

Geographic Distribution of Waste Emergency Areas

The Annex to Decree 2567/2025 lists 336 districts and cities designated under waste emergency status. This distribution covers areas from Sabang to Merauke, demonstrating that waste management problems are systemic and occur throughout nearly all Indonesian territory.

Aceh Province has the highest number of regions on this list, with 18 districts/cities including Aceh Tamiang, South Aceh, Southeast Aceh, through to Banda Aceh City and Lhokseumawe. North Sumatra Province follows with 27 districts/cities, including Medan as the largest city outside Java.

Java Island, the center of national economic activity, is not exempt from this problem. All five administrative areas of Jakarta (Central, North, West, South, and East Jakarta) are included in the list, along with Kepulauan Seribu District. Major cities such as Bandung, Bekasi, Depok, Semarang, and Yogyakarta are also listed in this decree.

Eastern Indonesia shows equally concerning conditions. Papua and West Papua provinces record dozens of districts under waste emergency status, including Merauke, Mimika, and Jayawijaya districts. Difficult geographical conditions and infrastructure limitations are the main factors challenging waste management in these areas.

The Nusa Tenggara archipelago, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Kalimantan also have significant representation on the list. South Sulawesi Province records 14 districts/cities under emergency status, while East Nusa Tenggara records 17 districts/cities.

Legal and Administrative Implications

Waste emergency status designation carries significant legal and administrative implications for regions listed in the decree. Regional governments are required to develop comprehensive waste management action plans and implement them within specified timeframes.

Based on Presidential Regulation 109/2025, regions with waste emergency status become priorities for waste-to-energy processing facility construction. This opens investment opportunities and cooperation with the private sector in developing technology-based waste management infrastructure.

Regions not showing significant progress in addressing waste emergencies may face additional administrative sanctions. These sanctions may include delays in special allocation funds, written warnings, and other administrative sanctions according to legislative provisions.

Conversely, this designation also provides legitimacy for regional governments to request budget and technical support from the central government. The Ministry of Environment together with related ministries is expected to provide intensive assistance for priority regions.

Implementation Challenges

Implementing waste emergency handling across 336 districts/cities faces various structural challenges. Limited regional budgets remain the main constraint in developing adequate waste management infrastructure. Many regions still depend on central government fund transfers to finance environmental programs.

Institutional capacity at the regional level is also a serious concern. Not all regions have agencies or work units with adequate technical competence in modern waste management. Improving human resource capacity becomes an urgent need that must be addressed parallel to infrastructure development.

Community participation in waste management from source remains low in many regions. Awareness for waste sorting, reducing single-use plastic consumption, and implementing 3R practices (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) has not become an ingrained culture. Sustained education and public campaigns are key to long-term success.

Coordination between central and regional governments, as well as inter-regional coordination within one area, needs strengthening. Regional waste management models involving several districts/cities in one regional TPA can be an efficient solution but require clear coordination mechanisms and cost-sharing arrangements.

Private Sector Role and Green Investment

Decree 2567/2025 indirectly opens opportunities for the private sector to participate in waste emergency handling. Presidential Regulation 109/2025 on waste-to-energy processing provides a regulatory framework enabling private investment in constructing and operating waste-to-energy facilities.

Investors may consider constructing waste processing facilities in priority regions using public-private partnership schemes. Business models involving electricity sales to PLN (state electricity company) or providing alternative fuel for industry can serve as attractive economic incentives.

Financial institutions and banks can also play a role through channeling green financing for waste management projects. Preferential financing schemes with competitive interest rates can accelerate infrastructure development in priority regions.

Conclusion

Ministerial Decree No. 2567 of 2025 from the Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Control Agency represents an important step in identifying and mapping critical waste management conditions in Indonesia. The designation of 336 districts/cities under waste emergency status reflects the reality that waste problems have reached alarming levels requiring systematic response from all stakeholders.

Success in addressing waste emergencies will depend on synergy between central government, regional governments, private sector, and communities. Investment in waste management infrastructure, institutional capacity building, and changes in community behavior must proceed simultaneously to achieve sustainable results.

Official Source

This article analyzes Ministerial Decree of the Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Control Agency of the Republic of Indonesia No. 2567 of 2025 concerning Areas with Waste Emergency (Keputusan Menteri Lingkungan Hidup/Kepala Badan Pengendalian Lingkungan Hidup Republik Indonesia Nomor 2567 Tahun 2025 tentang Daerah Dengan Kedaruratan Sampah).

This decree was established in Jakarta on October 13, 2025, and signed by the Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Control Agency, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq.

Legal Basis:

Note: Perpres 109/2025 is a recent regulation (October 2025) and may not yet be available in JDIH BPK or JDIH Setkab databases.

Disclaimer

This article was AI-generated under an experimental legal-AI application. It may contain errors, inaccuracies, or hallucinations. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice or authoritative interpretation of regulations.

We accept no liability whatsoever for any decisions made based on this article. Readers are strongly advised to:
- Consult the official regulation text from government sources
- Seek professional legal counsel for specific matters
- Verify all information independently

This experimental AI application is designed to improve access to regulatory information, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Disclaimer

This article was AI-generated under an experimental legal-AI application. It may contain errors, inaccuracies, or hallucinations. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice or authoritative interpretation of regulations.

We accept no liability whatsoever for any decisions made based on this article. Readers are strongly advised to:

• Consult the official regulation text from government sources
• Seek professional legal counsel for specific matters
• Verify all information independently

This experimental AI application is designed to improve access to regulatory information, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed.