I remember the rain.

It was the end of 2024 when I returned home to Tanimbar. The rain came heavily—and with it, something else surfaced. Waste, scattered across roads, carried by water into spaces we call home.

It looked simple. But it stayed with me. Because in that moment, I realised: this is not only about waste. This is about readiness.

As someone who comes from this place, this is not only research—it is reflection. To understand whether this experience was personal or shared, I conducted a small community survey involving 52 residents across South Tanimbar, which reveals the environmental baseline and community anxieties, as one of the world’s largest LNG projects prepares to transform these islands.

The Tanimbar islands, strung across the southeastern edge of Maluku Province in eastern Indonesia, are best known internationally as the site of Block Masela, an offshore gas field holding one of the world’s largest untapped LNG reserves. For locals, however, the most immediate crisis is far more mundane: what to do with the garbage.

Between late March and early April 2026, residents across villages in South Tanimbar District including Lauran, Sifnana, Saumlaki, Atubul-da, Olilit Barat, Lorulun, and Latdalam, responded to a structured community survey covering waste management conditions and their views on the development ahead. The results are striking in their consistency.

85% Observe waste littering often or very often during the rainy season. 56% Have NO regular waste collection service in their area. 40% Burn their waste — the most common disposal method. 96% Have heard of the Masela Project.

A Daily Reality, Not an Occasional Nuisance

The survey asked residents how often, during the rainy season, they observe waste littering their streets and surroundings. The responses leave little ambiguity: 44.2% said “very often,” and another 38.5% said “often.” Only four respondents — less than 8% — said they rarely encounter this problem.

Plastic was the most commonly cited waste type, showing up across beaches, roads, drainage channels, and home surroundings. Mixed waste came a close second. The rainy season amplifies the problem: blocked drains overflow, and one respondent linked the flooding in multiple parts of Saumlaki to unchecked waste accumulation — a warning sign of what more intensive development could bring.

“According to my personal observation, change can be seen from small things in our environment — especially waste thrown carelessly — which caused flooding in several spots in Saumlaki a few months ago.” — Survey respondent, Desa Sifnana

The Infrastructure Gap

Beyond individual behaviour, the survey exposes a structural failure. More than half of respondents (55.8%) have no access to any regular waste collection service. Nearly half (48.1%) say adequate waste bins are simply not available in their neighbourhood.

Waste Disposal Method	Count	%
Burning (dibakar)	21	40.4%
Dropped at designated spot	19	36.5%
Collected by waste officers	11	21.2%
Dumped around the house	1	1.9%

The dominance of burning as a disposal method is a public health concern in its own right, emitting toxic particulates and dioxins. It is also, in many cases, a rational response to a lack of alternatives. As one respondent put it simply: a waste disposal site is the most urgent thing needed.

⚠️ Infrastructure Alert: With major construction and thousands of workers expected to arrive for the Masela project development, the absence of even basic waste management infrastructure in many villages could rapidly become a public health emergency without urgent prior investment.

Who Is To Blame? Communities Point at Themselves — and at Government

Asked to identify the primary cause of waste problems, 80.8% of respondents identified “lack of public awareness” — a striking act of collective self-reflection. Yet open-ended responses tell a more nuanced story: residents simultaneously demand better facilities, stronger government intervention, waste sorting programs, and covered communal bins. This dual narrative — acknowledging behavioural factors while also pointing to systemic failures — aligns with broader environmental governance literature from Indonesian island communities. Awareness campaigns alone will not solve the problem if the infrastructure for responsible waste disposal does not exist.

Masela: Known, Hoped-For, and Feared

Nearly every respondent (96.2%) has heard of the Masela Project — remarkable awareness for a community that spans rural villages and small coastal towns. But awareness is not the same as confidence. When asked whether Tanimbar is ready for such large-scale development, opinion was divided:

Readiness Assessment	Count	%
Yes, ready	28	53.8%
Uncertain / not sure	19	36.5%
Not ready	5	9.6%

The largest concern expressed about development was loss of land and living space (32.7%), followed by environmental damage (21.2%) and increasing waste (17.3%). But the most emotionally charged responses in the open-ended section were about economic justice: the fear that outsiders would take the jobs and the land, leaving indigenous Tanimbar people as spectators in their own home.

“My concern is that when the time comes, many outsiders will dominate us, the Tanimbar people.” — Survey respondent, Kel. Saumlaki Utara

“Prepare jobs for young people through training and socialisation from the government… I hope we don’t become mere spectators for outsiders who will come to Tanimbar.” — Survey respondent, Desa Lauran

What Residents Say Must Change

When asked what most urgently needs to be improved in Tanimbar, three themes dominated: human resource development and local employment guarantees; waste management facilities and infrastructure; and road and building improvements. The consistency of these priorities across different villages and age groups suggests they reflect broadly shared community values rather than individual grievances.

What the Data Demands

• Immediate investment in waste collection infrastructure before construction begins
• Mandatory waste sorting and processing programs, not just collection
• Transparent local hiring and skills training commitments from project operators
• Community participatory forums to manage concerns and build trust
• Environmental education integrated into development planning — not an afterthought

Tanimbar’s people are not passive recipients of whatever development brings. They are watching, worrying, and — through surveys like this one — making their voices heard. The question is whether developers, local government, and the Indonesian state are prepared to listen before the drills start turning.

Based on original survey data collected March 30 – April 9, 2026 | N=52 respondents | South Tanimbar District, Maluku Province

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