Changed call-number from AIT Thesis no.DS-23-06 to AIT Thesis no.DS-23-05

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Development and Sustainability, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023

Landfilling is the most adopted solid waste management in emerging economies, including Indonesia. It can be easily found in most cities and regencies. Kulon Progo Regency faces crucial solid waste management with its landfill site problems. Started working in 2012, the Banyuroto landfill is the final waste disposal treatment in Kulon Progo, owned and operated by Public Works and Public Housing Department (PWPHD) in this regency. Despite the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) undertaken for this landfill, environmental and public health problems persist surrounding this landfill. Using a qualitative evaluation method, this research reviews the ESIA document of this landfill, focusing on its framework and implementation. The ESIA framework in this context is a regulatory framework developed and regulated under national law to conduct a comprehensive ESIA. The primary data was obtained through focus group discussion (FGD) with fifteen affected people divided into three units of FGD; in-depth interviews (IDI) with ten neighboring residents, PWPHD, Kulon Progo Environmental Department; key informant interviews (IDI) with Nanggulan Public Health Center, Kulon Progo Health Department, and Environment and Forestry Department of DIY province. This research uses content analysis to study various interview perspectives and analyze the ESIA document and related secondary data. This study shows that the ESIA framework of the Banyuroto landfill does not follow the framework regulated by the government. Important framework aspects are missed: mitigation measures and rehabilitation plans, specifically environmental and public health, due to budget and time constraints, poor assessment and governance, and lack of communication among related stakeholders. This condition leads to an ineffective ESIA implementation where the surrounding people keep perceiving the environmental and public health impacts such as leachate water, smell, airborne pollution, and other contaminants. Related stakeholders admit and realize the weak coordination in implementing the ESIA of the Banyuroto landfill. Strengthening the stakeholder engagement among them can help the ESIA implementations perform better. By interrelating and triangulating the views from different sources, this study finds possible actions to improve the ESIA implementation and address environmental and public health problems created by the Banyuroto landfill.