Community engagement in waste reduction: A critical component for Gunung Sewu Geopark conservation, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The key to achieving an effective and sustainable geopark waste management system is fostering community participation. This research about the Gunung Sewu Geopark, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, examines the phases and levels of community participation in waste reduction. The study involved surveying 1,757 respondents aged 18 and above using door-to-door questionnaires, which were analysed using the conditional probability method to determine participation stages and levels. The results indicate that community participation in waste reduction activities, such as composting and recycling is inadequate, with only 21.12% of respondents participating in the decision-making stage, 1.99% participating in the implementation stage, and 0.68% finding waste reduction activities valuable. Rural community participation level scores were 0.68 and categorised as very low. The incomplete stages of participation and low levels of participation are significant challenges for implementing sustainable waste management and maintaining conservation principles in Gunung Sewu Geopark. Further research could be conducted to determine the driving factors that most influence rural community participation so that geopark policymakers can develop strategies to increase participation more effectively and to targets.