ULM and Banjarmasin City Government Formulate Regional Character-Based Waste Management Model
BANJARMASIN – Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM), through the Public Administration Team of the Compulsory Lecturer Service Program (PDWA), is collaborating with the Banjarmasin City Government and environmental communities to formulate solutions to the increasingly pressing waste problem.
The meeting, held at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Building at ULM Banjarmasin on Thursday (August 21, 2025), brought together various stakeholders, including the Environmental Agency, village heads, waste disposal supervisors, environmental activists, and student nature lovers.
The Head of the ULM PDWA Public Administration Team, Dr. M Nur Iman Ridwan, emphasized that the waste problem must be addressed starting at the household level.
“Before we present our ideas to stakeholders, we must first understand the main problems at the household level,” he said.
He stated that waste management cannot be generalized because each region has different habits. Therefore, the results of this discussion will be formulated into a regional character-based waste management model.
In the forum, participants addressed challenges in the field, ranging from the habit of mixing waste to limited waste management facilities. Sungai Andai Village Head, Ahmad Dedi Pernadi, acknowledged that changing people’s mindsets is the biggest challenge.
“It takes a long time to change people’s habits of sorting waste,” he said.
Despite this, the Banjarmasin City Government continues its efforts by providing facilities such as 3R waste disposal sites (TPS 3R), composting houses, sorting houses, and three-wheeled waste collection vehicles.
The ULM PDWA team, chaired by Dr. M Nur Iman Ridwan, along with members Dr. Tomi Oktavianor, Dr. Taufik Arbain, and Sugiannor, and supported by students Rizal Fahmi and Raihan Pangestu Rahman, is committed to implementing the Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi (Three Pillars of Higher Education) in community service.
This program also aligns with the direction of the Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, who targets 70 percent of waste to be sorted at source, while only 30 percent is allowed to enter the final disposal site. Currently, 13 regencies/cities in South Kalimantan still have “Dirty City” status in the 2025 Adipura assessment.
With the involvement of ULM, this activity is expected to not only generate ideas but also create an effective waste management model for Banjarmasin and serve as an example for other regions.
