Hasanuddin University (Unhas) is committed to preventing and reducing aquatic environmental pollution, including marine pollution originating from land-based activities. This commitment is articulated in Rector’s Circular Letter No. 28720/UN4.1/KM.01.03/2024 on the Protection and Prevention of Pollution in Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments. This policy serves as a foundation for the academic community to increase awareness of environmental pollution and to prevent the disposal of waste or pollutants that can enter rivers, watercourses, estuaries, coasts, and ultimately the sea.

One form of implementation is Unhas’s involvement in the management of a trash trap by Marine Plastic Research Group (MPRG) in Borimasunggu Village, Maros Regency, which captures river-borne waste before it reaches coastal and marine waters. The initiative involves the village government, local community, and MPRG Unhas in strengthening waste management. In 2025, MPRG also conducted research on macro-waste, microplastics, and river hydrodynamics to identify plastic transport pathways and evaluate the effectiveness of the trash trap in preventing land-based waste from reaching the sea.

Unhas also promotes education and collaboration to raise awareness of plastic pollution. In June 2025, Unhas and University of Toronto conducted a knowledge exchange on plastic waste management in Borimasunggu Village, involving students, local government, the community, and the trash trap team. The activity highlighted community-based prevention of land-based waste entering aquatic ecosystems. Unhas also supports direct coastal action through COASTAL 2025, a beach clean-up on Badi Island, and plastic waste processing and recycling activities on Kodingareng Lompo Island to reduce waste entering marine environments.

Unhas also strengthens pollution reduction efforts through the InTechSEA Award 2025, organized in collaboration with four ministries (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Home Affairs) and involving the SOE sector (BUMN) as well as companies managing natural resources. This program encourages the development of innovations in waste management, the environment, renewable energy, and disaster management. Through collaboration between academics, government, and industry, Unhas promotes the adoption of more environmentally responsible practices and innovations, including reducing waste that has the potential to enter rivers, coastlines, and the ocean from land.

Through policies, research, technological development, education, and community action, Unhas adopts a source-to-sea approach in pollution reduction. This approach places the prevention of waste and pollutants from land as an essential part of protecting river, estuarine, coastal, and marine ecosystems.