Gili Gede Restoration Project
Like many regions and islands worldwide, Gili Gede is suffering from pollution. The sea water surface is covered with plastic waste, washed ashore from Bali or the mainland rivers. Unfortunately, there is no proper waste management system on Gili Gede. Waste gets dumped on the island or burnt, leading to severe health problems among the local communities and creating a big turn off for tourists. The fish populations have drastically reduced and fishnets are weighed down by plastic waste, making local fishermen’s life even harder. So far, waste is being used for eco-bricks and to make souvenirs, but villagers can’t keep up with the constant flow of waste arriving on their island.
The Gili Gede Restoration Project started to set up a waste collection system in January 2020, supported by the Indah Village Government and coordinated by Khiri Reach Ambassadors in Indonesia.
02 garbage collectors were appointed and got paid from the local government. 03 public garbage bins were placed in strategic locations. Khiri Reach supports the project with garbage bins made from eco-bricks, upcycled garbage bags, safety gloves and some administration works.
Waste is collected on a daily basis before it gets picked up by the Bank Sampah (Waste Bank – a local grassroot organization) and shipped to the mainland. Reusable waste is recycled and non-reusable waste is being transported to the main rubbish landfill on Lombok, near Kebon Konggok.
The Bank Sampah in Pelangan has indicated plans to purchase a waste incinerator in order to burn un-recyclable waste in an environmentally friendly manner.
By the end of 2020, the village government has taken full ownership of the rubbish collection system and there is a visible change in the part of the island where the system is being implemented. Reactions of villagers are positive so far, but the system will be evaluated and fine-tuned on a regular basis. Our hope is to have a functioning waste management system on the whole of Gili Gede, supporting a healthy ecosystem on the island and creating better living conditions for local communities.
