The Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), continues to demonstrate its commitment to creating sustainable environmental solutions through community empowerment. One of the programs led by Prof. Irfan Dwidya Prijambada has successfully secured funding under the EQUITY Community Development Program 2026 to develop a community-based waste management model through international collaboration. According to the funding announcement from UGM’s Directorate of Community Service, the project is entitled “Community Development for Sustainable Waste Management: A Collaborative International Student Program in Yogyakarta.”
Embracing the spirit of “Empowerment, Not Charity,” the program focuses on community empowerment through participatory and knowledge-based approaches rather than one-time assistance. By bringing together academics, international students, and local communities, the initiative is designed to strengthen community capacity in addressing environmental challenges independently and sustainably. This approach is expected to generate stronger and more lasting social impacts by positioning community members as active participants in developing and implementing solutions.
The program addresses sustainable waste management, one of the major environmental challenges faced by both urban and rural communities. Through the integration of applied research and community engagement activities, the project aims not only to encourage behavioral change in waste management practices but also to generate data and information that can support evidence-based decision-making at the community level. One of the key activities will be the periodic mapping of waste generation to identify the types, volumes, sources, and patterns of waste produced within target communities. The resulting data will serve as a foundation for designing more effective, measurable, and locally appropriate waste management strategies.
In addition to waste mapping, the program will implement various approaches to enhance public awareness and community capacity in waste management. These include promoting waste segregation at the source, reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills, encouraging the reuse of valuable materials, and strengthening community-based waste management systems. Environmental education activities will be conducted through training sessions, mentoring programs, and demonstrations of best practices involving diverse community groups. Through these efforts, community members are expected not only to become beneficiaries but also key actors in creating cleaner and more sustainable environments.
The involvement of international students provides added value through the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and global perspectives on community-based environmental management. Interactions among international students, UGM academics, and local communities are expected to foster innovative social solutions that are responsive to current environmental challenges. Guided by the principle of empowerment, not charity, the program seeks to build long-term community capacity, enabling local stakeholders to develop independent, data-driven, and sustainable waste management solutions that contribute to environmental quality and community well-being.
With support from various stakeholders, the program is expected not only to improve environmental conditions but also to strengthen the role of higher education institutions in delivering tangible solutions to societal challenges through research, innovation, and global collaboration.