Municipal solid waste management in small and metropolitan cities in Indonesia: A review of Surabaya and Mojokerto

Abstract

The increasing urban population has triggered a complex waste problem in Indonesian cities. Since the 1960s, waste generation in Indonesian urban areas has increased exponentially. Considering that municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is a case-by-case issue, MWSM practices vary on the municipal level. This article aims to explore the implementation of MSWM in small and metropolitan cities. By distinguishing cities by their typology, this article hopes to understand the similarities and differences of MSWM characteristics. This study uses a case study approach in which Surabaya represents metropolitan cities and Mojokerto represents small cities. The paper compares the current conditions and challenges of MSWM. This study is based on a literature review but also includes simple statistical analysis to strengthen the arguments in this paper. The review found that there are differences in the implementation of MSWM in Surabaya and Mojokerto in almost all aspects. Surabaya faces more complex problems and challenges and comes up with several solutions such as cooperation with a Japanese city and it is tackling human resources issues. On the other side, MSWM in Mojokerto is mostly government-centered and the city still has to handle institutional limitations such as regulatory issues, limited resources, and lack of participation.