Unismuh Faculty Team Promotes Sustainable Waste Management in Bulu Cindea Tourist Village

UNISMUH.AC.ID, Pangkep — The faculty team of Universitas Muhammadiyah (Unismuh) Makassar together with Universitas Muhammadiyah Parepare facilitated the procurement of separate waste bins in two prime destinations in Bulu Cindea Village, Bungoro Subdistrict, Pangkep Regency, namely fishing tourism and mangrove tourism.

This program is part of the third year of the Community Empowerment Program (PDB), funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. The aim is to encourage awareness among the community and visitors to maintain cleanliness and sustainability of tourist areas.

The Head of Bulu Cindea Village, Made Ali HB, SE, mentioned the existence of these facilities as a first step in changing community behavior. "Mangrove tourism and fishing tourism are assets of the village. With separate waste bins, we hope that visitors will be more aware of disposing of waste according to type, for the sake of cleanliness and environmental sustainability," he said.

Education and Support

The facilities were handed over by the Coordinator of the Activity, Dr. Ir. Rahmi, S.Pi., M.Si., IPU, accompanied by the Unismuh Makassar faculty team - Asriyanti Syarif, Juliani Ibrahim, Farhanah Wahyu, Insana Salam - as well as Fitri Indah Yani from Unismuh Parepare. In addition to handing over physical facilities, they provided a short training on separating organic, inorganic, and residual waste to managers, business owners, and youth groups. "Separation at the source is key to effective waste management. We want this program to be sustainable, not just the provision of facilities," said Dr. Rahmi.

Double Benefits

These two tourist destinations are a source of income for residents through the tourism and culinary sectors. However, the increase in visits is often followed by waste problems. The separate bins allow the village bank to manage valuable inorganic waste, while organic waste is processed into compost to support agriculture. A fishing tourism manager admitted to being helped. "Before, all the waste was mixed. Now, we can manage it properly, tourism is clean, visitors are comfortable," he said.

Towards an Environmentally Friendly Tourist Village

This program also prepares the development of recycling business units by BUMDes Amanah Mandiri. Made Ali hopes that this waste management model will be a sustainable tourist village example. "If cleanliness is maintained, visitors will stay longer, residents' income will increase, and the environment will remain sustainable," he said.

Dr. Rahmi emphasized that the success of the program depends on the active involvement of residents and visitors. "A clean environment brings benefits to tourism, health, and the quality of life of the community. We are optimistic that Bulu Cindea will be an icon of an environmentally conscious tourist village in South Sulawesi," he said.