On Thursday September 3rd, the Dutch House of Representatives will discuss the Selibon Lagun landfill site on Bonaire. In a letter to them, the National Institute for Human Rights emphasizes the need to protect the right of Bonaire residents to a healthy living environment. At the landfill, waste is dumped unsorted, harmful gases are released, and fires regularly break out. This poses serious risks to the safety and health of people and the environment. The Institute urgently calls on the government to implement immediate improvements. It also stresses the need for action to restore residents’ trust in public authorities.
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Image: © Sem van der Wal
Landfill Selibon Lagun on Bonaire
Significant risks to health and the environment
Everyone has the right to a healthy living environment, respect for family life, and respect for their home. For a large group of Bonaire residents, these rights have been under pressure for a long time. Waste is being deposited at the landfill without adequate controls or the necessary protective measures. Fires also occur regularly: in the first half of 2026 alone, there were two. This situation poses health risks both to nearby residents and to a large portion of Bonaire’s population. Harmful gases and smoke from fires are carried by the wind across much of the island. For years, organizations and authorities including the local foundation ProLagun, the Rijksvertegenwoordiger, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), and the Nationale ombudsman have warned that urgent measures are needed.
Rick Lawson, Chair of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, stated: “Since 2013, the landfill has posed health risks to residents and has had a severe impact on the environment. The Institute has spoken with multiple stakeholders, all of whom confirm that nothing has fundamentally changed. This situation can no longer continue. Imagine if a situation like this occurred in the European Netherlands. It is unthinkable that the government would simply allow it to continue. The Institute calls for a decisive approach: a concrete solution focused on implementation is needed now, in order to protect the rights of residents and the environment.”
Better surveillance and a transparent approach
The people of Bonaire need a clear prospect of safe and sustainable waste management. This requires improved surveillance of the current landfill site. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is scheduled to take over the responsibility for permitting, supervision, and enforcement at Selibon Lagun. The Institute urges the ministry to do so as quickly as possible and to take the necessary follow-up steps. Last week, the parties involved agreed that the ILT would provide support on practical measures and legal issues. The Institute views this as a positive first step.
In addition, Bonaire’s Executive Council and the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations have agreed to aim for the closure of Selibon Lagun by no later than 31 December 2028. The Institute calls for a transparent process in which both Parliament and Bonaire residents are kept informed of progress. To achieve this, it is essential that the government makes decisions regarding the future of waste management on Bonaire and actively involves residents in that process.
Immediate improvements for nearby residents
The Institute emphasizes that the government must take concrete steps to make the landfill safer and reduce nuisance and pollution. This is necessary to protect the fundamental rights of nearby residents, including the right to a healthy environment, respect for the home, and respect for private and family life.
This requires practical measures based on expertise in waste management, rather than yet another policy plan. The Institute is concerned about the current proposal to create a new disposal area at the landfill. It is unclear whether this will result in a safer situation for local residents. Nevertheless, the ministry has determined that it is not necessary to assess the environmental and health impacts beforehand through an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Furthermore, systematic data on the harmful substances released by the landfill and their health effects is lacking. The Institute therefore calls for monitoring to begin as soon as possible. This would also enable the government to measure the effectiveness of health protection measures.
Greater public participation
The failure to take meaningful action in recent years has undermined trust in the government amongst Bonaire’s residents. The Institute believes that authorities must do more to inform and involve both nearby residents and the wider public in decision-making processes. For example, local residents were not involved in decisions regarding the proposed new disposal area. It also remains unclear whether the government intends to publish studies concerning future waste management plans.
Finally, the Institute stresses that the Aarhus Convention should be extended to the Caribbean Netherlands as soon as possible. This treaty provides additional tools for citizens and civil society organizations to defend the right to a healthy environment. It strengthens rights relating to access to information, public participation, and access to justice in environmental matters. For example when it comes to waste management issues. The convention has applied to the European Netherlands since 2005 already.
Call to members of Parliament
During the Parliamentary Committee Debate on 3 September, members of the House of Representatives will discuss the matter with the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management and the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations. In its letter, the Institute calls on members of the Parliament to press for decisive action on waste management. And for efforts to rebuild public trust by involving residents in decision-making processes. In doing so, they will help safeguard the right to a healthy living environment.