RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Minister of Home Affairs, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, affirmed that waste management in urban areas requires a strong upstream-downstream approach, as well as firm leadership from regional heads. Without both, the accumulation of waste at the final disposal site (TPA) is unavoidable.

He also explained that the upstream-downstream approach is relatively effective in rural areas with strong social ties. However, in large cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, the downstream-upstream approach becomes a realistic choice.

He reminded that the success of the governance is highly determined by the leadership of the regional head in mobilizing and supervising their subordinates. Without supervision and a disciplined system, a downstream approach will only transfer the problem to the landfill and create large piles of waste.

"This cleaning force is highly dependent on the leadership of the regional heads, their concern, and passion." "Those who lack passion will just be indifferent," Tito stated at the National Coordination Meeting on Waste Management 2026 in Jakarta, Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

To foster operational control, he encourages the use of technology such as closed circuit television (CCTV) to monitor waste-prone areas, including blockages in rivers and densely populated areas. With this system, regional heads can immediately instruct the acceleration of cleaning to the relevant teams.

In addition, Tito underscored the importance of aligning regional programs with national policies in waste-to-energy processing. Local governments are urged to focus on building collection networks and preparing land, while processing technology is aligned with central policies.

"The local government just needs to build a network to collect, encourage the community to gather waste, in bins, collect it, and bring it to the location. Well, the location is also prepared, the land is in cooperation with the local government for incinerators and others," he conveyed.

Through this National Coordination Meeting, Tito emphasized that urban waste management requires system discipline, consistent supervision, and responsive leadership so that issues do not continue to recur every year.