Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong has encouraged the public to minimize waste in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province.

“We must be committed to minimizing waste, thus Labuan Bajo can remain beautiful,” he remarked on the sidelines of mass cleaning activity at  Gorontalo Beach, here on Sunday.

He has noted that Labuan Bajo, as one of the super priority tourism destinations designated by the Indonesian government, certainly has a strong charm for  tourists.

As a tourism attraction, the area must be clean. If the area is dirty, it will reduce the appeal of Labuan Bajo, thus declining the number of tourists who want to visit the region.

The cleaning activity, joined by hundreds of residents, was part of the Waste Collection for Philanthropy Act Movement (Gradasi).

The movement was launched by Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry, National Coordinating Team for Handling Marine Waste, as well as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Friday (October 14, 2022) at the West Manggarai District’s office hall.

A total of 240.1 kilogram (kg) of waste was collected by the participants during the cleaning activity. Labuan Bajo is recorded to produce 13 tons of waste each day.

Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific of UNDP Kanni Wignaraja has stated that the youngsters need to be involved in dealing with waste problems.

Hence, she invited all parties, especially young people, to collaborate in preserving the earth by participating in implementing waste management in Labuan Bajo.

“It is important to invite and involve the younger generations, especially children, to understand and participate in such activities,” she added.

During the waste cleaning activity, the West Manggarai District Government conveyed a commitment to handle the waste problem by involving the local community.

Source:  Antara News