The spirit of mutual cooperation colored the beach clean-up action by ITS academic volunteers and partners on the coast of Romokalisari Adventure Land Surabaya

ITS Campus, ITS News — The commemoration of World Ocean Day and Coral Triangle Day 2025 which falls on June 8 and 9 is a reflective moment in raising awareness of the importance of maintaining marine and coastal ecosystems. As an institution that upholds the value of sustainability, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) took part through a beach clean-up action in the Romokalisari Adventure Land area, Surabaya, Thursday (12/6).

Manager of Community Service Lecture and Humanitarian Projects of the Directorate of Research and Community Service (DRPM) ITS Dr Edi Jadmiko ST MT explained that this activity aims to maintain the cleanliness of the marine and coastal ecosystems. This activity is also a means of environmental education for volunteers from the ITS academic community. “We instill this education in volunteers through beach cleaning actions and planting tree seedlings,” said Edi.

In its implementation, Edi continued, the participants were divided into several points on the coast of mangrove trees that had been polluted by household waste and plastic waste. The waste was collected in bags that had been provided, then continued with the activity of planting mangrove seedlings , shrimp pine, breadfruit, and others as a form of environmental restoration. “Concern for the sea does not stop at cleaning alone, but also at efforts to restore it ecosystemically,” he explained.

ITS volunteers along with representatives from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Surabaya City DPP, and the Surabaya City DLH, PT Petrokimia Gresik, and PT Wilmar Nabati Indonesia after planting tree seedlings at Romokalisari Adventure Land Surabaya

Furthermore, this activity also serves as a forum for collaboration between the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and industry partners such as PT Petrokimia Gresik and PT Wilmar Nabati Indonesia. All partner agencies have similar concerns about marine issues. “This is done to strengthen the impact and sustainability of the program,” explained the lecturer from the ITS Marine Engineering Department .

According to Edi, each partner has a specific role in this activity. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), the Food and Fisheries Service (DPP), and the Surabaya City Environmental Service (DLH) provide support in the form of providing cleaning equipment and tree seedlings. Meanwhile, the industrial sector contributes in the form of sponsorship, while NGOs play a role in increasing public awareness of the marine ecosystem through social media.

Positive energy from volunteers from ITS academics who planted trees in the Romokalisari Adventure Land area, Surabaya

On the same occasion, the representative of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries from the Coastal and Marine Resources Management Center (BPSPL) Denpasar Surabaya Work Unit Suwardi said that this action is in line with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 83 of 2018 concerning Handling of Marine Waste. The regulation is the basis for national policy in handling marine pollution, especially by waste which continues to increase every year.

Suwardi also explained that through this policy, KKP plays a role in the target of reducing national waste by 30 percent. He emphasized that activities like this are one of the main priorities in supporting the target. For the next stage, Suwardi targets routine monitoring of planted tree seedlings and expansion of planting areas.

The enthusiasm of volunteers from the ITS academic community (wearing white) while taking action to clean the coastline in the Romokalisari area, Surabaya

Suwardi hopes that this activity will be a trigger for environmental awareness, especially for students. According to him, students as pioneers of social change have great potential to mobilize the wider community. “We hope that this action does not stop here, but continues and spreads to other communities,” he concluded hopefully.

Through this action, ITS contributes to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , especially point 14 on Marine Ecosystems and point 13 on Climate Change Management. In addition, the involvement of ITS academics and various cross-sector partners in this activity also supports SDGs point 17 on Partnerships to Achieve Goals by encouraging collaboration between educational institutions, government, communities, and the industrial sector in maintaining the sustainability of the marine environment. (ITS PUBLIC RELATIONS)

Reporter: Naurah Fitri
Translator : Devinka Mutianeira