BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR — The closure of the TPA Suwung landfill has sparked fresh controversy in Bali, as residents face mounting waste problems while authorities push to protect the island’s tourism image from environmental pollution.

The issue became the focus of a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) titled “Behind the Closure of TPA Suwung: Who Benefits?” organized by the Ikatan Wartawan Online Bali at the BKPSDM Building in Denpasar on Saturday.

The forum gathered government officials, academics, lawmakers, environmental practitioners, and journalists to examine the root causes of Bali’s waste emergency, particularly in the Sarbagita metropolitan area.

Chairwoman of IWO Bali, Tri Widiyanti, opened the discussion by highlighting the real conditions faced by residents, especially in West Denpasar. She said many households continue paying waste collection fees but still do not receive optimal services.

According to her, supporting infrastructure such as modern temporary waste stations and organic waste processing equipment remains inadequate.

“Large-scale policies should not create new suffering for the community when the infrastructure is not yet ready,” she said.

Tri also noted that Bali’s waste problem has begun attracting international attention and could potentially become a human rights issue related to access to a healthy environment.

Meanwhile, Bali Regional House of Representatives member I Nyoman Suyasa stated that the closure of TPA Suwung was unavoidable because the landfill had reached an emergency condition.

He said the government is currently promoting Waste-to-Energy (PLTSa) development as a long-term solution. Similar projects are also planned in major Indonesian cities including Bogor, Bandung, and Bekasi.

“If pollution can be reduced, odors eliminated, and the environment kept clean, tourism will automatically become more comfortable,” Suyasa said.

He added that land values around the area would likely increase once foul odors disappear and environmental conditions improve.

However, Suyasa stressed that waste management cannot rely solely on the government. He said each household produces two to three bags of waste daily, making waste sorting at the source essential.

Head of Bali Province Forestry and Environment Agency, I Made Dwi Arbani, revealed that the central government has sanctioned 343 regions across Indonesia due to stalled waste management systems.

He emphasized that the old “collect-transport-dispose” model is no longer relevant.

“We must return to the reduce, reuse, recycle concept as mandated by Law No. 18 of 2008,” Arbani said.

Independent waste management practitioner I Wayan Balik Mustiana criticized public perceptions about waste, arguing that most waste problems actually stem from flawed human behavior and thinking patterns.

He said community-based waste management through traditional village systems and the local philosophy of Tri Hita Karana could resolve up to 80 percent of waste problems at the village level.

“About 60 to 70 percent of household waste is organic and can be resolved through composting,” he explained.

Academic from Udayana University, Dr. I Nengah Muliarta, said Bali is currently under serious pressure from rapid population growth and tourism development that exceed the island’s environmental carrying capacity.

According to Muliarta, Bali ideally supports around 1.5 million people, while the island’s permanent population has now reached approximately 4.5 million, excluding millions of domestic and international tourists visiting annually.

He also clarified public misconceptions regarding the closure of TPA Suwung, saying the government is not entirely eliminating waste processing functions but seeking to replace them with more adaptive technology.

“The infrastructure still exists, and this should become momentum to adopt more adaptive technology. We cannot ask people to sort waste if they do not know where to dispose of it afterward,” he said.

In Badung Regency, local authorities have implemented stricter schedules for organic and inorganic waste collection. The policy reportedly reduced the number of garbage trucks entering TPA Suwung from 240 to around 190 trucks per day.

The regency administration also plans to replicate modern TPS3R waste processing systems across villages and commercial areas.

At the same time, the Denpasar City Government has started strengthening waste management infrastructure.

Head of the Waste Management Unit at Denpasar Environmental Agency, Viktor Andika Putra, said public awareness of waste sorting has improved significantly.

“With the plan to reorganize final disposal sites, we are already seeing a shift in public mindset. Based on our survey, waste sorting rates in Denpasar have increased,” Viktor said.

Denpasar currently operates 23 temporary waste stations and plans to build five additional facilities in 2026.

The FGD concluded that the closure of TPA Suwung should not merely be viewed as shutting down a landfill, but as a major turning point for Bali’s environmental governance.

Participants agreed that without concrete action from households, villages, government institutions, and modern technological support, Bali’s waste crisis will continue to threaten both the environment and the future of tourism on the Island of the Gods.