Ecovision: Journal of Environmental Solutions
Vol. 3 No. 2: August (2026)

Overload crisis at landfill sites and ecological injustice: A risk society perspective on affected peri-urban communities

Mohammad Dani Faiz (Department of Islamic Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Islamic Studies, Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, East Java 66221)
Faricha Rahman (Department of Islamic Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Islamic Studies, Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, East Java 66221)
Ahmad Zahid (Department of Islamic Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Islamic Studies, Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, East Java 66221)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Aug 2026

Abstract

Background: This study examines the waste management crisis at Klotok Final Waste Disposal Site (Tempat Pembuangan Akhir, TPA), Pojok Village, Mojoroto Sub-district, Kediri City, as a representation of socio-ecological problems arising from uncontrolled urbanization. Methods: Employing a qualitative case study approach within Ulrich Beck's Risk Society theoretical framework, this research analyzes the impact of the landfill's overload condition, persisting for more than three decades, on the buffer community of Kelurahan Pojok. Data were obtained through field observation and in-depth interviews with affected residents, supplemented by academic document reviews and government archives. Findings: The results indicate that the systemic transition from controlled landfill to open dumping has transformed Kelurahan Pojok into a sacrifice zone bearing a disproportionate share of the city's ecological burden. Residents face chronic exposure to respiratory disorders, groundwater contamination, odor pollution, and social space degradation—constituting a form of slow violence that erodes community well-being across generations. Government responses have remained ad hoc and technocratic, failing to address structural roots, while public participation was ignored from the landfill's inception. Conclusion: This study affirms that the Klotok Final Waste Disposal Site crisis is a manifestation of organized irresponsibility, demanding a paradigmatic shift toward ecological justice-based governance and meaningful community participation. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study offers a novel application of Beck's Risk Society framework to an underexplored peri-urban landfill context in Indonesia, revealing how manufactured uncertainty and organized irresponsibility operate at the intersection of local governance failure and ecological injustice.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

EVOJES

Publisher

Subject

Environmental Science

Description

Aims: EVOJES is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge on effective environmental solutions. Its goal is to highlight research that tackles critical environmental issues through innovative and practical approaches. By offering a platform for impactful studies, EVOJES aims to support the ...