Universitas Pertamina cooperates with Indonesian government agencies and public water utilities in Indonesia and Vietnam to address microplastic pollution as a water-quality concern. This cooperation forms part of the regional project, Enhancing the Science–Policy Interface to Manage Microplastic Influx from Major Cities into the Oceans in Southeast Asia, funded by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN). 
The cooperation addresses the water-quality dimension of water security by examining how microplastics enter water systems, move through wastewater treatment and drainage networks, and reach receiving waters. This two-year project was underway at the beginning of the 2025 academic year and was scheduled to conclude in September 2026.

Cooperation with Jakarta’s Public Wastewater Utility

At the local level, Universitas Pertamina and the project partners cooperate with Perumda Paljaya, a regional public wastewater utility owned by the Jakarta Provincial Government. Engagement with Paljaya connects Universitas Pertamina directly with a local government-owned organisation responsible for wastewater services. Cooperation with Paljaya included a field assessment at Krukut Wastewater Treatment Plant to understand treatment operations and identify suitable locations for investigating microplastic removal.
The assessment examined potential sampling points at the treatment inlet and outlet. These locations provide a basis for comparing microplastic concentrations before and after treatment and investigating where particles may be retained or discharged. Observations also informed the project’s sampling design and proposed analysis of microplastic flows through urban wastewater systems.
Cooperation with Paljaya connected the research to the practical challenges faced by a public wastewater operator. Technical discussions identified opportunities for joint sampling, data validation, and the development of baseline evidence to inform future monitoring and regulatory considerations. Paljaya’s operational input helped the research team align the investigation with local wastewater management needs and the protection of receiving waters.

Cooperation with the Jakarta Provincial Government also included a site visit to Cikoko Livestock Farm, which receives guidance and support from the provincial government. Field activities at this government-supported facility enabled Universitas Pertamina and research partners to examine livestock wastewater management through an enclosed anaerobic biogas system. The visit helped the team identify potential monitoring points in treated effluent and sludge-derived fertiliser. This agricultural component extends the investigation beyond municipal wastewater to other pathways through which microplastics may circulate between water and land, informing recommendations for agricultural wastewater treatment and the reuse of treatment by-products.

Cooperation with Indonesian National Government Agencies

At the national level, Universitas Pertamina cooperates with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and representatives of the ministries responsible for water pollution control and sanitation. This cooperation enables Universitas Pertamina and government representatives to identify knowledge gaps, discuss monitoring needs, and explore how the project’s findings can inform water management.
Through cooperation with BRIN, Universitas Pertamina benefits from scientific expertise on microplastic research in Indonesia, including insights into research gaps and methodological challenges. This exchange helps Universitas Pertamina address the reliability and comparability of sampling and analytical methods when developing evidence for water-quality management.
Cooperation with the Directorate of Water Pollution Control of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry provides government perspectives on monitoring needs and the potential use of research findings in future policy development. The directorate’s input helps align the project’s investigation of microplastic sources and pathways with government priorities for pollution prevention.
Through cooperation with the Directorate of Sanitation of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, Universitas Pertamina gains insights into plastic leakage from areas with inadequate wastewater and drainage infrastructure. The directorate’s input helps identify how operational information and research findings can inform infrastructure planning and integrated waste and water management.
This cooperation involves a two-way exchange: government agencies contribute management perspectives and identify information needs, while Universitas Pertamina and research partners contribute scientific knowledge and develop evidence relevant to those needs. Stakeholder consultations serve as a mechanism for this cooperation, allowing the parties to discuss research priorities and potential applications for protecting water resources from microplastic pollution.

International Engagement with a Public Water Utility in Vietnam

Universitas Pertamina extended this cooperation beyond national borders by participating in stakeholder consultation activities in Ho Chi Minh City on 11–12 September 2025. The consultation included Saigon Water Supply Corporation (SAWACO), a state-owned utility responsible for the city’s water supply.
Cooperation with SAWACO brought public water-service priorities into the project’s research discussions. SAWACO contributed operational perspectives on water-quality monitoring and raised questions about available technologies for microplastic removal. Researchers and utility representatives exchanged knowledge on emerging monitoring needs, treatment challenges, and practical approaches to communication with communities and industries.

The stakeholder consultation provided a working mechanism for this cooperation, allowing the research team and SAWACO to discuss the evidence and technical capacities needed to address microplastics in public water services. Universitas Pertamina contributed to the regional exchange through discussions on research findings, knowledge sharing, and public communication.