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Indonesia’s diving paradise Derawan Island faces mounting waste crisis
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Visitors at the inauguration of a waste-sorting facility on Derawan Island, East Kalimantan, on Feb 11.
PHOTO: WWF-INDONESIA
BALIKPAPAN, Indonesia – Popular diving and snorkelling destination Derawan Island in Berau regency, East Kalimantan, is grappling with a mounting waste crisis driven by tourism and marine debris, highlighting the growing waste management challenges faced by many small islands across Indonesia’s vast archipelago.
Covering just 44.6ha and home to around 2,000 residents, the island generates more than 46 tonnes of waste per day, more than double the national average waste production per capita.
