Table of Content

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................3

2. Ocean Pollution ..............................................................................................................3

2.1.............................................................................................................. Nutrients and Algal Blooms

...................................................................................................................................3

2.2.................................................................................................................... Ocean Acidification

...................................................................................................................................4

2.3.......................................................................................................................... Ocean Noise

...................................................................................................................................6

2.4...................................................................................................................... Offshore Drilling

...................................................................................................................................7

2.5........................................................................................................................ Marine Debris

...................................................................................................................................8

2.6....................................................................................................................... Garbage Patches

..................................................................................................................................10

3. Example of Water Pollution in Indonesia .....................................................................12

3.1...................................................................................................................... Oil Case Montara

..................................................................................................................................12

3.2....................................................................................................................... Plastic Pollution

..................................................................................................................................13

4. Impacts of Water Pollution in Indonesia.......................................................................14

5. Solutions for Indonesia..................................................................................................17

References............................................................................................................................20

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Abstract

This study reviews and investigates how the pollution in Indonesia may have a tremendous
effect in Indonesia's Economy. Giving informations that pollution in Indonesia is just not
caused by the people but some of the pollution is also caused by nature. And in today’s
world, not believing in climate change may sound foolish when it is very clear that climate
change has truly impact Indonesia’s oceanic life. Even when most of the pollution is man-
caused for example, bad garbage disposal, plastic pollution and the destruction of the marine
ecology. This paper will give and discuss an in-depth problems and solutions for a better
Indonesia.

Key Words

Pollution; Plastic; Climate Change; Marine Ecology

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1. Introduction
In the present era, it is undeniable that the world that we are living in is exceptionally
polluted and is costing us and our future generation. One of the most ill-polluted area in the
world lays in the ocean where most of the whole world’s garbage is disposed improperly.
Especially in a developing country such as Indonesia who does not have the proper
technology to cultivate plastic waste before dumping it to the ocean. A small part lies on
natural condition where the acidity of the water may change rapidly and hurt the coral reefs,
but this study is more focused on plastic and garbage waste.
More problems come when climate change is included to this equation. Moreover, most
people and scientist may argue that climate change is a phenomenon also caused by not
other than human beings. Climate change also plays a huge impact towards the ocean, where
as we know the sea level is going up each and every year, this is caused by the melting in the
north and south pole and it also hurt Indonesia’s ocean. Not just pointing out the problems
Indonesian government is facing but this paper will also provide solutions and guidelines on
what actions can be taken to prevent pollution and to have a healthier ocean.

2. Ocean Pollution
2.1. Nutrients and Algal Blooms

Nutrient loading refers to the release into the environment, by human activities, of
nitrogen, phosphorus, and other supplements. Horticultural fertilizers, cleanser phosphates,
and urban maintenance waste are instances of supplements that can be stacked into sea-going
frameworks. Despite the fact that extended supplements improve the growth of
phytoplankton, at the establishment of oceanic nutrition networks the microbes and green
growth , this may have negative impacts on oceanic ecosystems.

Nutrient loading can result in algal blooms, quick increments in phytoplankton

development, and some of the time dead zones. Algal blossoms can cause dead zones through
two components which are, they can devour so much oxygen that other plants and creatures
can now not survive; and, a couple of species of phytoplankton, essentially blue-green green
growth in freshwater and dino-flagellates within the sea, can shape hurtful blossoms that
create harmful compounds that slaughter other living beings. Algal blossoms have been the
cause of numerous gigantic angle murders. In any case, as it were around 2% of the 2,000
portrayed phytoplankton species in freshwater, and of the assessed 3,400-4,000 known
phytoplankton species in marine frameworks, are poisonous.

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 In spite of the fact that algal blooms do happen normally, supplement stacking contributes
to increments within the recurrence, areal degree, and concentrated of algal sprouts.
Expanding water temperatures may too contribute, and climate alter is expected to cause
changes within the conveyance, regularity, and recurrence of algal blossoms.

In marine frameworks, sprouts of poisonous phytoplankton are alluded to as either ruddy

tides or hurtful algal blossoms. They can cause extreme wellbeing impacts in people and they
are too dependable for broad mortality of angle and shellfish. They have been embroiled in
long winded mortalities of marine well evolved creatures, seabirds, and other creatures
subordinate on the marine nourishment web. Since the 1970s, hurtful algal blooms have
happened more regularly, expanded in measure, and extended their worldwide conveyance.

Turbulent storms churn the sea in winter, including supplements to sunlit waters close the
surface. This sparkles a nourishing free for all each spring that gives rise to gigantic blossoms
of phytoplankton. Little particles found interior these minuscule plants gather imperative
vitality from daylight through photosynthesis. The common shades, called chlorophyll,
permit phytoplankton to flourish in Earth's seas and empower researchers to screen blossoms
from space. Satellites uncover the area and plenitude of phytoplankton by identifying the sum
of chlorophyll show in coastal and open waters, the higher the concentration, the bigger the
blossom. Perceptions appear blossoms ordinarily final until late spring or early summer,
when supplement stocks are in decay and savage zooplankton begin to graze.

2.2. Ocean Acidification

The ocean itself absorbs 30% of the carbon dioxide more or less that is released in the
atmosphere and when we burn fossil powers, we don’t just contaminate the air we are
breathing but the seas and oceans, as well. In fact, today’s oceans retain as much as a quarter
of all man-made carbon emanations, which changes the pH of surface waters and leads to
fermentation. The pH scale runs from to 14, with 7 being an impartial pH. Anything higher
than 7 is fundamental (or soluble) and anything lower than 7 is acidic. The pH scale is a
reverse of hydrogen particle concentration, so more hydrogen particles deciphers to higher
corrosiveness and a lower pH. This issue is quickly worsening, oceans are presently
acidifying quicker than they have in a few 300 million a long time. It’s assessed that by the
conclusion of this century, in the event that we keep pace with our current emanations hones,

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the surface waters of the sea may well be about 150 percent more acidic than they are
presently.

So what happens when the ocean’s chemistry is thumped out of whack? Marine
ecosystems and the coastal economies that depend on them will go out of whack, as well.
Take reefs and shellfish, for starters. To construct their shells and skeletons, animals like
mussels, clams, coral, and clams require calcium carbonate (the same compound found in
chalk and limestone). But the ocean’s carbonate levels go down when sharpness levels rise,
undermining the survival of these creatures. Bivalves are at the foot of the nourishment chain,
so these impacts swell up to numerous angle, seabirds, and marine warm blooded animals.
More acidic waters moreover contribute to the fading of coral reefs and make it harder for a
few sorts of angle to sense predators and for others to chase prey.

Changes in sea chemistry can influence the behavior of non-calcifying life forms as well.
The capacity of a few angle, like clownfish, to identify predators is diminished in more acidic
waters. Considers have appeared that diminished pH levels too influence the capacity of
larval clownfish to find reasonable living space. When these life forms are at chance, the
complete nourishment web may too be at chance. While a few species will be hurt by sea
acidification, green growth and sea grasses may benefit from higher CO2 conditions within
the ocean, as they require CO2 for photosynthesis a bit like plants on arrive. There are a few
progressing considers analyzing on the off chance that developing ocean growth can offer
assistance moderate sea acidification.

Estimates of future carbon dioxide levels, based on business-as-usual emanation

scenarios, demonstrate that by the conclusion of this century the surface waters of the ocean
might have a pH around 7.8. The final time the sea pH was this moo was amid the center
Miocene, 14-17 million a long time back. The Soil was a few degrees hotter and a major
termination event was occurring. Ocean acidification is as of now influencing the whole sea,
counting coastal estuaries and conduits. Billions of individuals around the world depend on
nourishment from the sea as their primary source of protein. Many occupations and
economies within Indonesia and around the world depend on the fish and shellfish that live
within the sea.

Sea acidification is one perspective of global climate alter. Anything we do to relieve

climate alter nowadays will benefit long-standing time of the sea as well. Over the last
decade, there has been much focus within the sea science community on examining the

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potential impacts of sea fermentation. NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program serves to
construct connections between researchers, asset supervisors, arrangement producers, and the
open in arrange to inquire about and screen the impacts of changing sea chemistry on
financially and biologically vital biological systems such as fisheries and coral reefs.

Since maintained endeavors to screen sea fermentation around the world are as it were
starting, it is right now inconceivable to anticipate precisely how sea acidification impacts
will cascade all through the marine nourishment web and influence the generally structure of
marine biological systems. With the pace of sea acidification quickening, researchers, asset
supervisors, and policymakers recognize the pressing got to reinforce the science as a premise
for sound choice making and action.

2.3. Ocean Noise

Numerous marine living beings depend on their capacity to listen for their survival.
Sound could be an exceedingly proficient implies of communication submerged and is the
essential way that numerous marine species assemble and get it data approximately their
environment. Numerous oceanic creatures utilize sound to discover prey, find mates and
sibling, dodge predators, direct their route and find environment, as well as to tune in and
communicate with each other. Over the final century, human exercises such as shipping,
recreational sailing, and vitality investigation have expanded along our coasts, seaward, and
profound sea situations. Clamor from these exercises can travel long separations submerged,
driving to increments and changes in sea clamor levels in numerous coastal and seaward
territories.

These rising commotion levels can contrarily affect sea creatures and environments.
Higher clamor levels can diminish the capacity of creatures to communicate with potential
mates, other gather individuals, their sibling, or nourishing accomplices. Commotion can too
diminish a sea animal's capacity to listen natural prompts that are crucial for survival,
counting those key to maintaining a strategic distance from predators, finding nourishment,
and exploring to favored environments.

Consider the ceaseless clamor of the generally 60,000 commercial tanker and holder ships
that handle the oceans at any given time. The submerged racket that comes about makes a
kind of “smog” that comes to about each corner of the sea and recoils the tangible run of
marine natural life. High-intensity sonar utilized by the U.S. Naval force for testing and

6
preparing causes a few of the same effects, and has been connected to mass whale strandings,
too. Meanwhile, within the search for seaward oil and gas, ships prepared with high-powered
discuss weapons fire compressed discuss into the water each 10 to 12 seconds for weeks to
months on conclusion. Traveling as distant as 2,500 miles, these stunning seismic impacts
disturb scavenging, mating, and other imperative behaviors of imperiled whales (and may
eventually thrust a few, such as the North Atlantic right whale, to termination). The impacts
lead a few commercial angle species to forsake their habitat, a coordinate hit on coastal
economies subordinate on capture rates; they too harm and slaughter marine animals such as
squids, crabs, shrimps, and etc.

2.4. Offshore Drilling

The industrialization of the profound ocean is extending around the world. Expanding oil
and gas investigation exercises within the nonattendance of adequate pattern information in
deep-sea biological systems has made natural administration challenging. Here, we survey
the sorts of exercises that are related with worldwide seaward oil and gas improvement in
water profundities over 200 m, the ordinary impacts of these exercises, a few of the more
extraordinary impacts of coincidental oil and gas discharges, and the current state of
administration within the major locales of seaward mechanical movement counting 18 elite
financial zones. Coordinate impacts of foundation establishment, counting silt re-suspension
and burial by seafloor grapples and pipelines, are ordinarily confined to a span of ~100 m on
from the establishment on the seafloor. Releases of water-based and low-toxicity oil-based
boring muds and created water can amplify over 2 km, whereas the environmental impacts at
the populace and community levels on the seafloor are most commonly on the arrange of
200–300 m from their source. These impacts may endure within the profound ocean for
numerous a long time and likely longer for its more delicate environments, such as cold-
water corals. This blend of data gives the premise for an arrangement of suggestions for the
administration of seaward oil and gas improvement.

A compelling administration methodology, pointed at minimizing hazard of noteworthy

natural hurt, will ordinarily include directions of the movement itself, for example release
hones, materials utilized, combined with spatial, for example evasion rules and marine
ensured ranges, and worldly measures, for example limited exercises amid top regenerative
periods. Spatial administration measures that include agents of all of the territorial deep-sea
community sorts is critical in this setting. Usage of these administration techniques ought to

7
consider least buffer zones to uproot mechanical action past the run of normal impacts: at
slightest 2 km from any release focuses and surface framework and 200 m from seafloor
foundation with no anticipated releases. In spite of the fact that overseeing characteristic
assets is, ostensibly, more challenging in deep-water situations, incorporation of these
demonstrated preservation apparatuses contributes to strong natural administration
procedures for oil and gas extraction in the deep sea.

Investigation of oil and gas stores is presently a worldwide mechanical movement within
the profound sea. As effortlessly open oil and gas assets got to be drained, and innovation
progressed, the oil and gas industry extended into more profound waters in later decades. Be
that as it may, this deep-water development has not continuously been coordinated by
enactment that reflects present day practices of natural preservation. There's a clear ought to
bring together current information of deep-sea biology, known human impacts on deep-water
biological systems, and the scattered natural assurance measures that exist to date.

Huge oil spills are known executioners of natural life. Fair think back to the blast of BP’s
Deep water Skyline fix within the Inlet of Mexico in 2010. The coming about spill secured
68,000 square miles of ocean surface and murdered around 1 million coastal and seaward
seabirds, 5,000 marine warm blooded creatures and 1,000 ocean turtles. Smaller spills,
including of other substances within the oil extraction prepare, don’t continuously make the
features but can too be unsafe. Amid oil extraction on arrive, boring liquids are infused into
the well for oil. These oil-based liquids known as "mud" are gathered to be captured in lined
pits for transfer, but they’re frequently spilled and sprinkled around the boring location.

These spills can have long-term natural impacts and obliterating impacts on creatures
through coordinate contact, inward breath and ingestion of harmful chemicals. Oil and
chemical spills can harm animals’ liver, kidney, spleen, brain or other organs, cause cancer,
safe framework concealment and regenerative failure, and trigger long-term environmental
changes by harming animals’ settling or breeding grounds.

2.5. Marine Debris

Marine debris, also referred to as marine litter, is human-created waste that has
deliberately or accidentally been released during a sea or ocean. Floating oceanic debris tends
to accumulate at the middle of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing aground, when it's
called beach litter or tide-wrack. Deliberate disposal of wastes puzzled is termed ocean

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dumping. Present debris, like driftwood and drift seeds, are present. With the increasing use
of plastic, human influence has become a difficulty as many varieties of (petrochemical)
plastics don't biodegrade quickly, as would natural or organic materials. Waterborne plastic
poses a significant threat to fish, seabirds, marine reptiles, and marine mammals, also on
boats and coasts.

Dumping, container spillages, litter washed into storm drains and waterways and wind-
blown landfill waste all contribute to the current problem. This increased has caused serious
negative effects like ghost nets capturing animals, concentration of plastic debris in massive
marine garbage patches, and concentration of debris within the organic phenomenon.
Researchers classify debris as either land- or ocean-based; in 1991, the world organization
Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution estimated that up to
80% of the pollution was land-based, with the remaining 20% originating from catastrophic
events or maritime sources.

More modern studies have found that over half plastic debris found on Korean shores is
ocean-based. A wide style of man-made objects can become marine debris; plastic bags,
balloons, buoys, rope, medical waste, glass and plastic bottles, cigarette stubs, cigarette
lighters, beverage cans, polystyrene, lost cord and nets, and various wastes from cruise ships
and oil rigs are among the things commonly found to own washed ashore. Six pack rings,
specifically, are considered emblematic of the matter. The US military used ocean dumping
for unused weapons and bombs, including ordinary bombs, UXO, landmines and chemical
weapons from a minimum of 1919 until 1970. Various pounds of ordnance were disposed of
within the Gulf of Mexico and off the coasts of a minimum of 16 states, from New Jersey to
Hawaii.

Eighty percent of marine debris is plastic. Plastics accumulate because they typically
don't biodegrade as many other substances do. They photo-degrade on exposure to sunlight,
although they are doing so only under dry conditions, as water inhibits photolysis.[12] in a
very 2014 study using computer models, scientists from the group 5 Gyres, estimated 5.25
trillion pieces of plastic weighing 269,000 tons were dispersed in oceans in similar amount
within the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Although an increasing number of studies
are focused on plastic debris accumulation on the coasts, in off-shore surface waters, which
ingested by marine organisms that board the upper levels of the water column, there's limited
information on debris within the mesopelagic and deeper layers.

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 Studies that are done have conducted research through bottom sampling, video
observation via remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and submersibles. They are also mostly
limited to one-off projects that don't extend long enough to point out significant effects of
deep-sea debris over time. Research so far has shown that debris within the deep-ocean is
after all impacted by anthropogenic activities, and plastic has been frequently observed
within the deep-sea, especially in areas off-shore of heavily populated regions, like the
Mediterranean.

Litter, made of diverse materials that are denser than surface water (such as glasses,
metals and a few plastics), are found to touch the ground of seas and open oceans, where it
can become entangled in corals and interfere with other sea-floor life, or perhaps become
buried under sediment, making clean-up extremely difficult, especially thanks to the wide
area of its dispersal compared to shipwrecks. Plastics that are usually negatively buoyant can
sink with the adherence of phytoplankton and also the aggregation of other organic particles.
Other oceanic processes that affect circulation, like coastal storms and offshore convection,
play part in transferring large volumes of particles and debris. Submarine topographic
features also can augment down-welling currents, resulting in the retention of micro-plastics
at certain locations.

A Deep-sea Debris database by the worldwide Oceanographic Data Center of the Japan
Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), showing thirty years of
photos and samples of marine debris since 1983, was made public in 2017. From the 5,010
dives within the database, using both ROVs and deep-sea submersibles, 3,425 man-made
debris items were counted. The two most important forms of debris were macro-plastic,
making up 33% of the debris found – 89% of which was single-use – and metal, making up
26%. Plastic debris was even found at the underside of the Mariana Trench, at a depth of
10,898m, and plastic bags were found entangled in hydrothermal vent and cold seep
communities. Many animals that survive or within the sea consume flotsam by mistake,
because it often looks almost like their natural prey.

Bulky plastic debris may become permanently lodged within the digestive tracts of those
animals, blocking the passage of food and causing death through starvation or infection. Tiny
floating plastic particles also resemble zooplankton, which might lead filter feeders to
consume them and cause them to enter the ocean organic phenomenon. In samples taken

10
from the Pacific Gyre in 1999 by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, the mass of
plastic exceeded that of zooplankton by an element of six.

2.6. Garbage Patches

Garbage patches are large areas of the ocean where litter, rig, and other debris, referred to
as marine debris, collects. They are formed by rotating ocean currents called gyres. You will
be able to consider them as big whirlpools that pull objects in. The gyres pull debris into one
location, often the gyre’s center, forming patches.

There are five gyres within the ocean. One within the ocean, two within the Atlantic
Ocean, and two within the Pacific. Garbage patches of varying sizes are located in each gyre.
The most famous of those patches is commonly called the good Pacific Garbage Patch. It's
located within the Pacific Ocean Gyre (between Hawaii and California). Patch may be a
misleading nickname, causing many to believe that these are islands of trash. Instead, the
debris is spread across the surface of the water and from the surface all the thanks to the
bottom.

The debris ranges in size, from large abandoned fishing nets to tiny microplastics, which
are plastic pieces smaller than 5mm in size. This makes it possible to sweep through some
areas of the nice Pacific Garbage Patch and see little or no to no debris. The Great Pacific
Garbage Patch is that the most well-known patch. While some areas of the patch have more
trash than others, much of the debris is created of microplastics. Because microplastics are
smaller than an eraser, they're not immediately noticeable to the eye. It’s more like pepper
flakes swirling in an exceedingly soup than something you'll be able to skim off the surface.
You will bump into larger items, like plastic bottles and nets, but it’s possible to pass with
flying colors some areas of a garbage patch and not see any debris in any respect. Garbage
patches are huge. It’s difficult to see an actual size because the trash is consistently moving
with ocean currents and winds.

Garbage patches, especially the good Pacific Garbage Patch, are far get into the center of
the ocean where people seldom go. Because they're so remote, it are often hard to check
them. Scientists rarely get to work out the impacts of garbage patches on animals first hand.
So far, we all know that marine debris found in garbage patches can impact wildlife during a
number of how for instance, marine life may be caught and injured, or potentially killed in
certain sorts of debris. Lost fishing nets are especially dangerous. Of course they're often

11
called ghost nets because they still fish while they're now not under the control of a fisher.
Ghost nets can trap or wrap around animals, entangling them. Plastic debris with loops may
get hooked on wildlife, think packing straps, six-pack rings, handles of plastic bags, etc. The
second example is termed ingestion which is when animals may mistakenly eat plastic and
other debris. We all know that this may be harmful to the health of fish, seabirds, and other
marine animals. This stuff can take up room in their stomachs, making the animals feel full
and stopping them from eating real food.

And also the last example is additionally non-native species, this is often when marine
debris can transport species from one place to a different. Algae, barnacles, crabs, or other
species can attach themselves to clutter and be transported across the ocean. If the species is
invasive, and might settle and establish during a new environment, it can out-compete or
overcrowd native species, disrupting the ecosystem. It's going to also cause damage to vessels
and be a navigation hazard. Marine debris are often difficult to work out within the ocean if
it’s floating below the water surface. A ship moving through the water can hit the debris,
possibly leading to costly vessel damage. Nets can become entangled in propellers and clog
intakes.

3. Examples of Water Pollution in Indonesia

3.1. Oil Case Montara

Indonesia has never been known as a country who actually care about its country’s
environment and future. Especially before 1960 where the effects of water pollution is not
cared about by the government. But after an oil spilage in 1967, 1978, 1989 and etc which
were caused by accidents of several tanker ships, Indonesian government finally felt the urge
to step up and established some policies and sea rules.

Marine pollution due to the oil spill that occurred in Indonesian waters due to the
explosion of the PTTEP Australasia oil field on the Montara Platform has received the
attention of various parties, including communities on the Timor Sea coast, environmental
observers NGOs, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, the Australian Government
and PTTEP Australasia. The oil spill that occurred in Australia's EEZ to passing through
Indonesia's EEZ began on August 21, 2009. Initially, there was an explosion on the Montara
Well Head Platform located in the West Atlas block, Timor Sea, Australian waters. There
was an oil spill with an estimated spill of 2,000 barrels / day, which resulted in oil and gas

12
hydrocarbon leaks. As of August 31, 2009, small oil particles have entered the Indonesian
EEZ region in position. The trace of the crude oil spill entered a small part of the Indonesian
Exclusive Economic Zone which borders the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone, on
September 1, 2009.
On 14 September 2009, the Australian government placed an additional drilling rig near
the Montara well head platform which would cut the original well at a depth of 2.6 km below
sea level and inject heavy mud in an attempt to seal the leak. After conducting air monitoring,
on September 21, 2009, information was obtained that a portion of the oil spill had been
located at a location 51 nautical miles southeast of the island of Rote (Rotendau) Indonesia.
Two days later, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) took countermeasures
through recovery operations, using oil booms and skimmers on the coordinates, after spraying
dispersants using two aircraft and Oil Cintainment and carrying out recovery with three ships.
On October 1, 2009, the Australian government invited the Directorate General of
Transportation to the Ministry of Transportation to conduct a joint observation to the location
of the oil spill.
When refinery officials injected mud into the Montara well to suppress an uncontrolled
leak from 2,600 meters below sea level, a fire broke out. The leak was finally resolved on
November 3, 2009 at 17:15 local time. Simultaneously with this success, fires on the Montara
wellhead platform and around the West Atlas drilling rig in the Timor Sea were successfully
extinguished. The leaks that occur cause pollution to the Province of NTT. The greatest
impact of pollution was felt by eight districts / municipalities in NTT, namely: Kupang
Regency, Kupang Municipality, Rote Ndao Regency, South Central Timor Regency, North
Central Timor Regency, East Sumba Regency, Sabu Raijua Regency, and Belu Regency.
3.2. Plastic Pollution

Indonesia is that the second largest contributor to plastic pollution within the world,
contributes an estimated 200,000 a lot of plastic waste into the ocean and its connecting
rivers. With plastic being inexpensive and sturdy, it's a commonly used material. However,
the durable nature of plastic continues after we eliminate it, because it is extremely difficult
to degrade through natural processes. The degrading process, even after thousands of years,
leaves tiny microplastic particles that may be unseen to the human eye, but dramatic in its
impact. This research essay aims to debate these impacts of plastic waste, specifically
towards the highly populated Indonesian Archipelago. Furthermore, a comparison between

13
Indonesian tourists and locals and their estimated contributions towards pollution are
considered, with the intention of investigating the chief reason for this issue.

Finally, Indonesian mitigation efforts towards plastic waste are going to be reviewed with
the consideration of what additional mitigation strategies may be put into place to further
reduce the negative impacts of plastic waste and Indonesia’s contribution towards it. Plastic
pollution features a multitude of sources and origins. Packaging; bags; cigarette butts; food
wrappers; foam cups and clothing fibers are some of the various different items that not only
contain plastic fragments, but are items that are repetitively found washed au fait Indonesian
beaches.

The negative impacts of those polluted items are apparent and well-documented.
Macroplastics, which are large, visible pieces of plastic debris, are identified as an ingestion
threat to marine life and marine birds in many studies. In order to urge a grasp of the plastic
waste in Indonesia, a frequency count of littered plastic was conducted at a preferred beach in
Bali (Sanur Beach, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia) that was raked and cleaned day by day for the
tourists. Thanks to time constraints, the survey time was limited to approximately one hour.
However, the plastic waste on this beach was so severe that within this point, i used to be able
to identify 260 pieces of rubbish within 20m. After the one-hour survey time, there was still a
major number of plastic pieces that had still not been picked up within that transect.

Fingers is noticed to plenty of people for this problems but one party can truly make the
difference but it's not been effective. Because of weak awareness, weak compliance to rules
and weak enforcement domestic and industrial waste like plastic is continuously being
discharged into rivers, causing that the majority river water in Indonesia is polluted. The
growing population and industrialization only exacerbates the case. The crisis of plastic waste
isn’t just limited to the ocean, but it's also affected Indonesian rivers.

Data from Nature Communications revealed that four of Indonesia’s rivers like, Brantas,
Solo, Serayu and Progo, rank among the 20 most polluted rivers within the world. Last April,
Bandung, Indonesia’s third largest city witnessed the concentration of plastic waste so thick
that locals there said it resembled an iceberg. The plastic waste problem became so drastic in
Bandung that the military had to be called in to help. This incident is emblematic of the size
of the plastic waste problem that Indonesia faces.

14
 In Indonesia, plastic is everywhere.Expect for plastic bags, one can find everyday objects
like tables and chairs made up of plastic too. This is often probably because of the actual fact
that plastic products are cheap to provide within the country. The ubiquity of plastic bags
combined with the dearth of awareness of how damaging plastic waste is on the environment
are probably among the explanations why Indonesia is facing this predicament.

4. Impacts of Water Pollution in Indonesia

All over the globe, there's a growing movement to completely eliminate plastics from
daily use. Studies have shown that the utilization and disposal of plastic incorporates a
detrimental effect on the environment. In Indonesia, the results have become more apparent
as rivers and oceans become clogged up with plastic waste. The big quantities of plastic
waste have also taken a toll on marine life as animals often get entangled within the plastic
waste and die.

Meanwhile, the plastic waste choking rivers deprive local communities of their source of
food and water. Clogged rivers also increase the likelihood of flooding which might be
damaging to the encompassing communities. Most pliable is non-recyclable and not
biodegradable, meaning that it always winds up in landfills – and Indonesia has many them.
The most important landfill in Indonesia is that the Bantar Gebang landfill in Jakarta. Over
900 trucks operate there and deliver quite 5,000 tons of solid waste each day. These landfills
is hazardous to the environment as plastic waste also releases harmful chemicals into the
atmosphere. Initially, the landfills pollute the bottom water as chemicals seep into the ground
and eventually make their thanks to rivers and lakes. Landfills also emit methane gas which is
thought to contribute to pollution.

The impact above notifies what could happen to the environment but it also impacts
millions of Indonesians’ lives. Common symptoms of environmental pollution due to
industrial waste that are immediately visible are changes in physical conditions and
environmental designations. River water or well water around the polluting industrial sites,
which was originally clear in color, turned into a cloudy foamy smell and smelled rotten, so
that it was no longer suitable for use by the local community for bathing, washing, especially
for drinking water raw materials. For the health of the local community, diseases may arise
from minor diseases such as skin itching to severe ones in the form of genetic defects.

15
 According to Walhi's monitoring, almost all parts of Indonesia have experienced
industrial pollution on various scales and in various forms. Since its inception, the industrial
sector has often caused problems, for example, the location of factories close to residential
areas, problematic land acquisition, the exclusion of the community in this policy, the poor
quality of AMDAL, often the absence of waste treatment, and so on. Other impacts that arise
are air pollution, water pollution, noise, and garbage. All of these impacts are the main
factors causing vulnerability in society. Community life becomes more vulnerable because of
the poor quality of the environment.

Moreover, oil spillage as mentioned above is also very dangerous in Indonesia. In the GC
analysis, the chromatogram results show that the tar balls found in Indonesian EEZ waters
contain crude oil which has the same characteristics as the oil samples from the Montara
Wellhead Platform. The oil found in Indonesian waters has the C13-C34 chain which has the
following properties:

1. In general, the light carbon chain will easily evaporate in nature, but very toxic to
marine life and easy degraded. Light crude oil contains 2 - 20% light aromatic
components wherein heavy crude oil contains up to 2%.
2. Carbon chains 10 to 24 (C10-C24) are usually easy to metabolize.
3. C29 chains with alkane branches are usually more difficult to biodegrade than normal
alkanes (n-alkanes) but are more prone to biodegradation than normal cycloalkanes
(naphthenes).
4. C30 chains with alkane branches are resistant to decomposing microbes. The more the
number of alkanes the more resistant it is.
5. The C32 chain is characterized by at least 1 benzene ring.
6. The C33 chain as the number of molecules increases and the complexity, the aromatic
content undergoes little degradation in nature. So that the level of degradation of
polyaromatics will be slower than monoaromatics. Aromatic
7. With 5 to 6 rings is not easy to biodegrade in the environment and will last a long
time.
8. The C34 chain usually contains only 2 - 10% light oil and 35% heavy oil.
9. It can be concluded that the oil found in Indonesian waters contains light and heavy
types of oil. At high carbon chains it will be difficult to degrade in the marine
environment and will last for a long period of time.

16
 With high TPH values (T1, T2, and T3) between 705,100 to 932,800 ppm, it is very
dangerous to life in the sea. Meanwhile, the findings on the Montara Wellhead Platform
showed a PAH value of 93,200 ppm. According to Peterson (2001), the long-term impact of
TPH will interfere with reproduction and have an impact on decreasing the population of
certain important individuals / species in nature.
Socio-economic losses and environmental impacts are the result of disruption of the
aquatic environment due to oil spills which have an impact on decreasing capture fisheries
products, disturbing the comfort of residents on the coast, decreasing reef fish catches,
disturbing seaweed, disturbing ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves, and grasslands
which is a place for fish and other marine biota to spawn and raise young fish, the physical
function of mangroves and coral reefs is disturbed, which have the function of providing
environmental services. The calculation of the value of ecological economic losses is carried
out using regression analysis, which includes:
1. Assessment of the loss of the aquatic environment using the EOP technique on the
ecological economic value of fisheries resources, namely by assessing the possible
loss of productivity of the aquatic environment for pelagic and demersal fish
resources. The potential loss in economic value that is approached by calculating the
net present value (NPV) for two years is IDR 11,443,455,251,939.10.
2. Assessment of coastal environmental losses using the CVM technique on the
ecological economic value of coastal areas, namely by assessing the possible losses
on the aesthetic value of the existence of the coastal environment. The potential loss
in economic value is approximated by calculation. The net present value (NPV)
during one year is IDR 32,808,043,730.00.
3. Assessment of the environmental losses of coral reefs using the EOP technique on the
ecological economic value of fisheries resources, namely by assessing the possible
loss of environmental productivity of coral reefs for coral fish resources. The potential
loss in economic value that is approached by calculating the net present value (NPV)
for five years is IDR 2,573,939,264,684.91.
4. Assessment of the environmental losses of seaweed using the EOP technique on the
ecological economic value of seaweed resources, namely by assessing the possible
loss of seaweed productivity due to pollution. The potential loss in economic value
approached by calculating the net present value (NPV) for two years is IDR
32,751,104,938.00.

17
5. Solutions for Indonesia

Indonesia, too, needs to follow suit as countries become more aware of their
contributions to climate change. The government set a goal last year to minimize plastic
waste by up to 70 percent by 2025. In order to achieve this goal, the government said it
would contribute US$1 billion to the initiative annually. In 2016, with the implementation
of a US$0.02 levy on single-use plastic bags, Indonesia attempted to limit plastic use.

The step was decried by critics, arguing the fee was not high enough to discourage
customers. The country's retailers' association stopped charging for plastic bags later that
year, citing a lack of legal reasons. The Indonesian government said this year that it is
preparing to impose excise taxes on manufacturers of plastics. The exact statistics have
not yet been disclosed, but analysts do not expect it to have much of an effect on the use
of plastic. But nervertheless, Multiple organizations across Indonesia tend to be
committed to the plastic waste epidemic. One such organization is the Coral Triangle
Centre, which focuses on the conservation and management of the marine environment
and its biodiversity within Indonesia's Coral Triangle. This helps to reduce the effect that
toxic plastic has on marine life, while not directly reducing pollution.

A direct approach to emissions is being taken by other organizations. Gili Eco Trust,
based in Gili Trawangan, contributes to mitigation through the collection and operation of
already discarded waste on the streets and beaches through its own recycling scheme.
They also provide volunteers with benefits, such as free food and alcohol, to achieve mass
beach cleansing. While each of these organizations has various plastic waste reduction
methods, they all seem to concentrate on minimizing macroplastics. There is much less
discussion about microplastics, perhaps because the existence of them is less visible to the
human eye. Microplastics are often much harder to handle, and so it seems that focusing
on reducing the output of microplastics rather than reducing the microparticles that are
already present is the most productive way to reduce microplastics.

However, there is still concern about the contributions and awareness of the general
public, considering the efforts of small organizations. Indeed, the Indonesian government
has promised US$1 billion to minimize ocean waste by 70% by 2025, but this is not
legally binding in any way and seems excessively optimistic. The national government
still has the capacity to establish garbage reduction incentives and disincentives, and yet

18
these are also insignificant. In order to make any real difference in reducing the amount of
plastic, the government needs to improve its legal structure and provide more waste
management facilities for its country.

It is clear that plastic waste is being dispersed worldwide, with disastrous

implications. In particular, Indonesia has been described as a hot-spot for plastic
contamination into the oceans, and while tourists were supposed to be the largest
contributors to this title, it appears that non-tourist areas are also generating similar levels
of pollution. For further research, this would be a great subject, as this paper presented
more of a summary of personal observations rather than definitive, comparable results.
Finally, Indonesia's attempts to reduce plastic waste tend to be as worrying as plastic
pollution itself. In order to eliminate plastics in the ocean to a meaningful extent,
education and government action must be evaluated and strengthened to accomplish this.

Finally, Indonesia needs to introduce adequate plastic waste management on the

mainland, especially in the residential and industrial sectors, as the amount of plastic
waste in our oceans will be drastically reduced. Setting zero-waste goals is one factor that
can be enforced, ensuring that 90% of waste goes to recycling or composting and just
10% or less goes to landfilling or incineration. Policies and methods to controlling the
amount of waste on the mainland have also been introduced by the Coordinating Ministry
for Maritime Affairs, including encouraging companies to reuse, recycle and minimize
plastic. In waste management, the main concept of 3R is how plastic waste from the early
stages of waste treatment can be treated. System improvements, as well as decisions on
how to develop a business framework, will play a major role in the implementation of
developments in waste management.

All in all, the implementation and sharing of integrated data, new business models,
existing public policies, and investment in technology and infrastructure to create a
comprehensive solution to plastic pollution in the ocean requires cooperation and
understanding between governments, civil society organizations, and the community.
There's much too much plastic waste. We don't have time to waste.

19
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