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His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development Affairs and Martyrs’ Families, and Chairman of the International Humanitarian Affairs Council, affirmed the UAE’s commitment to reducing the effects of pollution at the local and global levels, in line with achieving the global goals for sustainable development, especially in the field of eliminating plastic pollution in waterways.
His Highness’s statement comes within the framework of signing a cooperation and strategic partnership agreement between the Abu Dhabi-based global non-profit organization “Clean Rivers” and the United Nations Development Program office in the capital, Jakarta, with the aim of reducing river pollution in the Republic of Indonesia.
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This partnership aims to remove 5,000 tons of plastic waste annually from the banks of 6 river areas, by implementing the necessary preventive measures to prevent future pollution, such as establishing the principle of recycling, which will be implemented over the next 3 years.
Under this partnership, Clean Rivers will provide funding to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to finance this project. This donation is part of the $20 million the UAE has pledged to support the Indonesian government’s efforts to address plastic pollution, as part of a partnership agreement signed between Clean Rivers and UNDP on the sidelines of the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum 2024, held this year in Jakarta.
Under this partnership, UNDP will leverage Clean Rivers grants to collaborate with stakeholders who share the vision of reducing the release of plastic waste into seas and rivers.
The collaboration includes a number of local NGOs, government agencies and local communities who will focus their efforts on enhancing plastic waste removal, establishing recycling methods, and empowering Indonesian communities through launching awareness campaigns targeting residents of these areas. These tasks are in line with the Foundation’s main mission, which seeks to adopt community-based solutions to reduce and combat plastic pollution at the source, and build resilient economic systems capable of protecting the environment while preserving the quality of life of these communities.
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In a related context, Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahhak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, stressed that with millions of tons of plastic entering the world’s oceans every year, it is imperative that countries work together to address this challenge on a global scale. The UAE has long advocated for collaborative action to address climate challenges around the world and has taken a clear approach to the issue of waste entering global waterways, based on our commitment to reducing and effectively managing it.
Her Excellency said: Waste management is an effective means to enhance the circular economy and drive sustainable growth efforts in the world. This issue is of great importance in the Global South, and Indonesia is one of the UAE’s most important partners in confronting climate change. We have undertaken many joint projects aimed at protecting the planet and achieving a more sustainable future for all.
For her part, Nani Hendiarti, Deputy Coordinating Minister for Forestry and Environmental Management at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia, said that her country has taken many great steps in recent years to confront plastic pollution, but there are still many challenges that we must face and overcome.
“Our partnership with UNDP marks the beginning of our major mission to reduce plastic pollution in Indonesian rivers and protect our oceans,” said Deborah Bakos, CEO of Clean Rivers Foundation. “By working with local organizations and communities in Java and Bali, we are not only eliminating plastic waste, but also creating sustainable systems that will prevent further pollution in the future and encourage long-term environmental management.”
“Indonesia has an ambitious target of reducing plastic waste by 70% by 2025, and we are only a year away from that target,” said Suyala Pant, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Indonesia. “It is imperative that we build collaboration across decision-making levels, something UNDP is working to achieve around the world, and we are committed to supporting the Indonesian government in accelerating its actions to achieve this goal.”
