Most Indonesians consider inefficient waste management to be the most important environmental issue.
This is evident from the findings of a survey conducted by the Seventeen Choice Pioneers Foundation (PP17) in May 2025.
"Waste management issues (42%) are considered the most important environmental problems requiring immediate resolution, although they have decreased," stated PP17 in the National Kawula Survey Q2 2025 Report.
Waste management issues are considered more important by women (47%), people in Sumatra (49%), and Java (48%).
Another environmental issue considered a priority is flooding. This aspiration was expressed by many people aged 25-34 (51%), residents of Java (49%), and women (48%).
Water and air pollution are considered more important by university graduates (41%). These university graduates (28%) also consider the issue of customary forest encroachment important.
Meanwhile, land conversion of mountains is considered more important by those aged 35-44 (23%), and deforestation for palm oil is prioritized more by villagers (23%).
The following is a complete list of environmental issues that are prioritized, or considered important for immediate resolution, according to the PP17 survey:
* Inefficient waste management: 42%
* Flooding: 41%
* Lack of green open space (GOS): 27%
* Water and air pollution: 27%
* Land conversion of mountains for tourism: 25%
* Deforestation for palm oil: 19%
* Customary forest encroachment: 18%
* Extreme heat waves: 15%
* Monopoly of natural resources: 14%
* Fossil fuel dependence: 14%
* Forest and land fires: 13%
* Drought: 10%
* Don't know: 6%
"These top issues differ slightly from the previous quarter, where in Q1 2025, the priority issues related to environmental issues were flooding and drought (58%), inefficient waste management (57%), and water pollution (33%)," said PP17.
PP17 conducted this survey from May 12-15, 2025. The method used was Computer-Assisted Self Interviewing (CASI) or an online survey involving 417 respondents aged 17-44 in Indonesia.