Indonesian Journal of Environmental Management and Sustainability

Low-Carbon and Environmentally Sustainable Aquaculture in Coastal Ecosystems: A Systematic Literature Review

Iman Supriatna — 2026-02-28

Low-carbon aquaculture is increasingly recognized as a vital strategy to mitigate climate change, improve resource efficiency, and ensure sustainable food production. This systematic review, following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, analyzed 58 peer-reviewed studies selected from 312 published between 2020-2024, providing a transparent and replicable synthesis of the current evidence. Research is predominantly focused in Asia and Europe, regions where rapid aquaculture growth coincides with emerging climate policies. Key strategies for reducing environmental impacts include Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), cultivation of low-trophic species such as seaweeds and filter feeders, and the restoration of coastal ecosystems, all of which enhance carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem resilience. The review identifies the most commonly reported sustainability indicators as global warming potential (GWP), energy consumption, land use, nutrient loading, and eutrophication. Despite ongoing technological innovations, global aquaculture remains largely unsustainable with persistently low environmental performance. Barriers to improvement include incomplete carbon accounting, fragmented regulatory frameworks, and limited consumer awareness. Additionally, significant knowledge gaps in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration constrain robust life cycle assessments. Transitioning to low-carbon aquaculture requires not only technological innovation but also with stronger governance, ecosystem-based management, and integrated policy frameworks to enhance sustainability and climate resilience. This review underscores the urgency of coordinated action across research, industry, and policy sectors to optimize low-carbon strategies, address existing knowledge gaps, and support the development of sustainable aquaculture systems that are both environmentally responsible and economically viable.

AERMOD as an Alternative Approach for Estimating Traffic-Related Ambient Pollutant Dispersion in Areas Without Air Quality Monitoring Stations

Gian Mustika Ilmi — 2026-02-28

The dispersion of pollutants originating from traffic activities has become a major environmental issue in many developing countries. Emissions such as SO₂ and CO present significant challenges for air quality management due to their serious health impacts. Air Quality Monitoring Systems (AQMS) are commonly used to measure pollutant concentrations; however, limited availability and spatial coverage necessitate alternative approaches such as dispersion modeling using AERMOD. This study aims to evaluate the performance of AERMOD as an alternative method for estimating SO₂ and CO concentrations, particularly those associated with traffic-related emissions. The simulation results indicate a strong alignment between dominant wind direction and pollutant dispersion patterns over the seven-day modeling period. Concentration accuracy assessed through regression analysis and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) revealed positive correlations between AERMOD simulations and observational data for both SO₂ and CO, with RMSE values of 21.86 µg/m³ for SO₂ and 485.25 µg/m³ for CO. Overall, statistical evaluations demonstrate a high level of agreement for SO₂ and a moderate level of agreement for CO. These findings underscore the significant potential of AERMOD as an alternative monitoring tool for estimating pollutant dispersion in areas lacking AQMS infrastructure, thereby supporting more effective air quality management and pollution control strategies. However, the model’s performance remains influenced by several limitations, including dependency on the quality of meteorological and emission input data, the assumption of steady-state atmospheric conditions, and greater prediction uncertainty for CO compared to SO₂. These factors should be carefully considered when applying AERMOD in regions without ground-based monitoring stations.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Climate Action: Assessing Indonesian Mining Companies’ Contributions to SDG 13

Wahyu Endah Christiani Putri — 2026-02-28

This study examines how Indonesian mining companies incorporate climate action within their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies, with a particular focus on their contributions to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13. Using qualitative content analysis of ten publicly available CSR and sustainability reports, the study identifies recurring themes in corporate disclosures, including operational activities, environmental performance data, target-setting, and collaborative initiatives. The findings reveal both progress and gaps in aligning mining practices with national and international climate objectives. Four thematic areas emerge, including (1) operational decarbonization efforts that increasingly combine low-carbon technologies with nature-based solutions (NbS), although their effectiveness is rarely assessed through standardized indicators; (2) responsibility framing and measurable targets that show greater alignment with frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contributions, yet governance and assurance mechanisms remain underdeveloped, raising concerns of potential greenwashing; (3) while disclosure of environmental data has improved, comparability across firms is constrained by inconsistent adoption of metrics and limited integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); and (4) climate-related risks are widely acknowledged, with firms outlining resilience strategies and engaging in multi-stakeholder partnerships to enhance adaptive capacity. Overall, Indonesian mining companies demonstrate a growing recognition of their role in climate action. However, advancing their contribution to SDG 13 requires systematic evaluation of NbS, stronger ESG governance and accountability, broader institutionalization of LCA, and deeper stakeholder engagement. These improvements are essential to ensure CSR initiatives deliver substantive, measurable, and socially inclusive climate outcomes.

Synergistic Valorization of Palm Oil Mill Effluent and Boiler Ash into a Nutrient-Rich Liquid Organic Fertilizer

Irwan Taslapratama — 2026-02-28

Industrial symbiosis presents a transformative pathway for the sustainable management of palm oil byproducts. This study investigates a novel integrated valorization approach using boiler ash as a multifunctional ameliorant in the anaerobic fermentation of palm oil mill effluent (POME). By leveraging the synergistic physicochemical properties of acidic POME and alkaline boiler ash, we developed a self-buffering system to produce high-value liquid organic fertilizer. Varying boiler ash concentrations (0, 45, 50, and 55 g/L) were evaluated to determine the optimal nutrient recovery and stabilization parameters. Results demonstrate that a dosage of 55 g/L is statistically superior, effectively neutralizing the system to a stable pH of 7.5 without synthetic additives. This treatment yielded a nutrient-dense product containing 3.93% total NPK and 12.42% organic carbon, surpassing the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture Regulation No. 261/2019 standards. Safety analysis revealed a Pb concentration of 12.28 ppm, which is significantly below the maximum allowable threshold, confirming the product’s environmental compatibility. This research provides a scientifically grounded method for converting industrial waste into a fortified agricultural input, advancing circular economy principles and supporting national sustainability frameworks like the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification.

Strategic Formulation for Sustainable Campus Development: A SWOT-TOWS Analysis of Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia

Muzzazinah — 2026-02-28

Higher education institutions must implement appropriate evaluation and strategy determination to support their role in establishing a Sustainable Campus. This study aims to (1) evaluate the implementation of the sustainable campus program at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), (2) analyze the dominance of internal (IFAS) and external (EFAS) factors at UNS, and (3) formulate strategies that UNS should implement to strengthen its sustainable campus initiatives-the implementation evaluation utilized data from the UNS GreenMetric report. The factor dominance analysis employed IFAS and EFAS, while the strategy formulation used SWOT-TOWS analysis. The findings indicate that UNS has stagnant scores in the Water (WR) and Transportation (TR) indicators. Furthermore, UNS’s strengths lie in its open space availability and sustainable academic programs, though this advantage is hindered by limited budget allocation for toxic waste management. Based on the analysis, the recommended course of action for UNS is the Strengths-Opportunities (SO) strategy. The implementation of this SO strategy is necessary for UNS to advance its role as a sustainable campus successfully. This study implies that the integration of sustainability performance evaluation using UI GreenMetric data with IFAS, EFAS, and SWOT-TOWS analysis provides a structured basis for identifying dominant strategic conditions and formulating strength-oriented strategies to improve sustainable campus implementation at Universitas Sebelas Maret. The study implies that Universitas Sebelas Maret should utilize sustainability assessment results as strategic inputs rather than merely as reporting tools, enabling more targeted interventions in critical areas such as water and transportation management. These findings may further contribute to the development of management strategies derived from SWOT and TOWS analyses in other universities across Indonesia.

Removal of Organic Pollutant from Industrial Rubber Wastewater Using Pineapple Crown Bio-Adsorbents

Riska Rahmah Dani Fitria — 2026-02-28

Industrial rubber wastewater contains high levels of organic substances (proteins, carotenoids, organic salts, and lipids in residual latex) that can be observed in high concentrations of BOD₅ (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). Pineapple waste is an organic waste that can be utilized as a bio-adsorbent to remove pollutants from wastewater. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of pineapple crown waste activated with KOH in removing BOD₅ and COD in rubber industry wastewater. The effectiveness of the adsorbent was tested in batches at varying adsorbent dosages of 0.5 g, 1.0 g, and 1.5 g at stirring speeds of 50 rpm, 100 rpm, and 150 rpm. The adsorption isotherm model was analyzed using the Langmuir and the Freundlich models. The results showed that the optimum BOD₅ removal rate in rubber industry wastewater using pineapple crown adsorbent was achieved at an adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g with a stirring speed of 100 rpm, resulting in an adsorption capacity of 62.78 mg/g and a removal efficiency of 94.35%. The optimum COD removal was achieved at an adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g, with a stirring speed of 100 rpm, resulting in an adsorption capacity of 199.816 mg/g and a removal efficiency of 95.15%. The adsorption isotherm model most suitable for both BOD5 and COD is the Freundlich model. Increasing the adsorbent dosage does not significantly enhance removal efficiency.