• Posted on 1 Oct 2024
  • Updated on 1 Oct 2024
  • 5-minute read

EMISI project in Indonesia, an initiative of Ministry of Public Works and Housing, supported through DFAT’s Indonesia Australia Partnership for Infrastructure.

Two researchers dressed in hazmat suits and masks pull up a bucket of water from a hole in the ground.

The Emissions Measurement to Improve Sanitation in Indonesia (EMISI) project was an initiative of the Ministry of Public Works, supported by the Australian Government, through the Indonesia Australia Partnership for Infrastructure (KIAT). 

EMISI was led by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in partnership with Universitas Indonesia (UI), Centre for Regulation, Policy and Governance (CRPG), the University of Leeds, and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 2024-2026

EMISI measured greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from diverse sanitation systems, developed the first detailed national estimate of sanitation emissions, and worked with government stakeholders to identify strategies to improve sanitation while reducing emissions. Read the project overview here.

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Transcript

MEC. Emission Measurement to Improve Sanitation in Indonesia.

Indonesia continues to strive to ensure that all people have 100% access to proper and safe sanitation, in line with its commitment to sustainable development and efforts to realise the Golden Indonesia Vision 2045.

Good sanitation not only protects public health but also increases productivity and opens up economic opportunities through innovation and sustainable resource management. However, poor sanitation management can produce greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change.

The MEC program, or Emission Measurement to Improve Sanitation in Indonesia, is a new step in Indonesia to measure the emission footprint of the sanitation sector. Data collected directly from the field provides the scientific basis for recommendations on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and opens up opportunities for climate financing to improve sanitation services for the community.

The MEC program was born from a collaboration between the Directorate of Sanitation of the Ministry of Public Works and the Australian Government through the Indonesia-Australia Partnership for Infrastructure, or KIAT. This initiative also receives support from the MEC Advisory Group, which includes representatives from Bappenas, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Ministry of Environment.

The MEC team consists of experts in sanitation and greenhouse gas emissions from leading universities in Indonesia, Australia, and other international educational institutions, who prioritise the capacity development of female researchers and junior researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.

The MEC program consists of three components. Component one includes data collection and field measurements in five cities or districts: Jakarta, Bandung, Balikpapan, Manggarai, and West Manggarai. Here, the team monitors emissions from local domestic wastewater management systems, or SEPAL DS, and centralised domestic wastewater management systems, or SEPAL DT.

Next, component two combines all the measurement data from component one to calculate estimated emissions from the sanitation sector, from households to city-scale domestic wastewater treatment.

Component three focuses on policy by involving ministries, institutions, and technical partners through participatory meetings and workshops. This process results in technical guidelines and policy recommendations to reduce emissions while improving inclusive sanitation services.

The MEC program strengthens Indonesia's low-emission sanitation system with accurate data as the basis for policies and investments to create a green environment and a healthy and productive society.

Why measure emissions from sanitation?

Wastewater is estimated to contribute approximately 5% of global methane emissions as well as contributing nitrous oxide emissions. Methane and nitrous oxide are greenhouse gases (GHGs) with significant global warming potential, 28 and 265 times more than carbon dioxide respectively. 

Additionally, poorly managed sanitation particularly contributes to emissions, and global estimates do not fully consider non-sewered sanitation systems prevalent in rapidly growing cities and rural areas in low-and middle-income countries such as Indonesia.

RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Policy brief – English| Bahasa Indonesia

Priority actions for government of Indonesia and partners.

Findings and recommendations report – Achieving safely managed services and climate mitigation in the sanitation sector in Indonesia

Key findings from the EMISI project, including emissions measurements, modelling, and policy and regulatory review. Recommendations including technical guidance, policy recommendations​ for sanitation governance, GHG accounting and foundations for climate finance.

Technical note – Methods for measuring sanitation emissions and developing city- and national-level estimates

Learn about EMISI’s field methods to measure methane and nitrous oxide emissions as well as a modelling approach to develop sanitation emissions estimates.

Instructional video -Methane emissions measurement

Direct emission measurement using a flux chamber

EMISI Dissemination webinar

Presentation slides

Recording – entire webinar (90 min)

Recording – direct emissions measurement (10 min) 

EMISI Sanitation emission datasets 

Access the datasets for emissions measurement from multiple sanitation systems:

MEDIA

Tackling wastewater emissions: collaborative research to improve sanitation in Indonesia - Australian Water Association, September 30 2024

Juliet Willetts

Juliet Willetts

Professor

DVC (Research)

Leanne Casey

Leanne Casey

Research Consultant

DVC (Research)

Jeremy Kohlitz

Jeremy Kohlitz

Research Director

DVC (Research)

Alejandro Medina Valenzuela

Alejandro Medina Valenzuela

Research Assistant, Data Science Researcher

DVC (Research)

Universitas Indonesia (UI) team members

Lead: Cindy Priadi

CRPG (Centre for Regulation, Policy and Governance)

Lead: Mohamad Mova Al’Alfghani

University of Leeds (UoL)

Lead: Barbara Evans

UNSW (Consultants)

Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB) (Consultants)

Members of the EMISI research team stand in three rows behind a desk. There are around 25 people.

Adelia Tsaltsani BilqisAkna Mumtaz IlmiAndryansya Putra AbindaAstryd Viandila Dahlan
Carissa EukairinDanishaDinda FauzaniFarah Raihana
Fathia RaniaFayza ArdaniFhandy PandeyGabriel Andari Kristanto
Iftita RahmatikaIman UtomoImmanuela KarinaIsravani Valencia
Karina Rizky AuliaMullah BarokahNopa Dwi MaulidianyNurannisa Shaleha
Rudy WahyuSeptania WidyaTrimo Pamudji
Chenny WongkarNishrin Qowamuna
Ben Smeaton‑RussellCarolina Montoya PachongoJack DaltonMiller Camargo Valero
Haoran DuanMudi Zhai
Prayatni Soewondo

SDGs

SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation

This project is working towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Read about ISF's SDG work

Explore International development

Institute for Sustainable Futures; International development

Research Centre

Client

  • KIAT - Australia Indonesia Infrastructure Partnership

Location

  • Indonesia

Partners

  • Centre for Policy Regulation and Governance (CRPG)
  • Universitas Indonesia
  • University of Leeds
  • University of New South Wales

Years

  • 2024-2026

| Sustainability |

 

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