Not a waste!

Local action may offer a model for waste management in rural tourism, according to research in the International Journal of Tourism Anthropology.

A study of waste problems in Kampung Nipah, a coastal tourism hamlet in North Sumatra, Indonesia, argues that rural communities with limited public services may need locally governed waste systems rather than relying solely on municipal provision. The researchers found that fly-tipping and littering in Kampung Nipah is linked to inadequate infrastructure. However, it also occurs because of established cultural practices, weak collective responsibility, and an absence of an institution responsible for managing waste across the wider village. The team explains that government waste-collection services do not reach the area, while rubbish from residents, tourists and rivers can accumulate along the coast.

The study involved ethnographic methods, a close, but extended, study of people and their everyday practices. It was able to show how social behaviour and institutional arrangements contribute to the problem of local waste in such a place. To overcome this problem, the team proposes a community-based model centred on local champions, residents who take an active leadership role, who work alongside tourism managers and other stakeholders to change the waste culture.

While the work focuses on only one location, it may well prove to have wider implications for rural coastal tourism elsewhere.

Zuska, F. and Zulkifli, Z. (2026) ‘Developing community-based waste management for public spaces in coastal tourism villages: establishing institutions with local champions’, Int. J. Tourism Anthropology, Vol. 10, No. 5, pp.1–22.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.