HUMAS FH-USU: On Saturday, August 22, 2026, the Master's Program in Law of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FH USU), conducted a community service program themed “Improving Community Legal Awareness in Environmental Protection and Management Related to the Impacts of Livestock Waste” in Bandar Khalipah Village, Percut Sei Tuan District, Deli Serdang Regency.

The community service program was part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, particularly the university’s contribution to society through strengthening legal understanding and empowering communities to address environmental issues at the village level.

The initiative also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education, through strengthening community legal literacy and awareness; SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, through improved governance and access to legal mechanisms; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through collaboration among universities, village governments, communities, civil society organizations, and business actors.

The program was led by Dr. Abdul Aziz Alsa, S.H., M.H., as Head of the Community Service Team. In his remarks, Dr. Abdul Aziz Alsa emphasized the importance of increasing public awareness of waste management, particularly waste generated by livestock activities. He explained that communities need to understand the legal obligations related to waste management as well as the potential legal consequences if such activities cause environmental pollution or damage.

“A good and healthy environment is a constitutional right of every citizen, as mandated by Article 28H of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Environmental protection is not merely a matter of cleanliness but is also part of fulfilling the rights of the community,” said Dr. Abdul Aziz Alsa.

During the activity, Sony, S.E., Chair of the Berkah Orangtua Harapan Anak Indonesia (BOHAI) Community, also shared information about environmental conditions in Bandar Khalipah Village, which faces challenges in managing household waste and livestock waste. The density of residential areas located alongside livestock activities is one of the issues requiring collective attention.

The BOHAI Community has initiated environmental awareness programs, including a waste bank, to promote a culture of cleanliness among residents. The program has involved residents in RT Anggrek 3 and 4, including Dusun 17, which has a relatively large number of households.

According to Sony, improper livestock waste management can lead to various problems, ranging from disturbances to community comfort to potential conflicts between residents and livestock business operators. In addition, burning livestock waste can affect air quality and pose health risks, particularly to children and pregnant women.

During the presentation session, Anggi Maisarah, S.H., M.H., a speaker and lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara, explained the legal aspects of environmental protection and management, as well as the role of village governments in establishing regulations suited to local community needs.

Anggi Maisarah explained that livestock waste management requires a clear legal framework to establish mechanisms for prevention, monitoring, and enforcement in the event of violations. One instrument that can be used is the establishment of a Village Regulation (Peraturan Desa/Perdes) governing livestock waste management at the local level.

She further explained that strengthening community legal understanding is an important part of developing good village governance. Communities need not only to understand their rights and obligations but also the procedures for expressing aspirations, conducting oversight, and resolving environmental issues in an orderly manner and in accordance with applicable laws. This is consistent with the spirit of SDG 16, particularly in promoting inclusive communities and strengthening institutions and governance at the local level.

The presentation also discussed how a Village Regulation may establish a range of administrative measures, including verbal warnings, first and second written warnings, requirements to improve waste management systems, temporary suspension of business activities, and recommendations for the revocation of business licenses by the competent authorities. In addition, residents were introduced to the class action mechanism as one legal avenue that may be pursued when environmental problems affect collective interests. This understanding is expected to strengthen community legal literacy and enable residents to use legal mechanisms responsibly.

The community service program was moderated by Farahdiba Syawlia Siregar, S.H., M.Kn., a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara, who facilitated the discussion between the speakers and community participants.

During the discussion session, residents explained that Bandar Khalipah Village currently does not have a Village Regulation specifically governing livestock waste management. Therefore, residents expressed their hope for regulations that could provide a legal framework for waste management and help prevent potential social conflicts in the future.

Residents also proposed continuous environmental campaigns to increase awareness among both community members and livestock business operators. Collaboration among the village government, community members, livestock business operators, civil society organizations, and academics is needed to develop sustainable solutions for environmental protection. This cross-sector collaboration is an important component of SDG 17, which emphasizes partnerships in achieving sustainable development goals.

Through this community service program, the Master's Program in Law of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara, seeks to strengthen community legal understanding and literacy while encouraging better environmental governance, particularly in livestock waste management in Bandar Khalipah Village.

The activity also demonstrates the university’s contribution to sustainable development through community education and capacity building (SDG 4), strengthened legal awareness and responsive institutional governance (SDG 16), and multi-stakeholder partnerships among academics, government, communities, civil society organizations, and business actors (SDG 17). Through such collaboration, environmental management at the village level is expected to become more participatory, equitable, and sustainable.