Integrating Governance and Social Capital in Solid Waste Management on Small Islands: A Case Study of Banda Neira Island, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia.

<ns5:p>Background Solid waste management on small islands is constrained by limited infrastructure, fragmented governance, and ecological vulnerability. Existing approaches emphasize technical solutions while giving insufficient attention to community social capital. This study examines how governance and social capital can be integrated to improve waste management on Banda Neira Island, Indonesia. Methods A qualitative case study approach was employed using semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, supported by document analysis. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis using a theory-informed framework comprising bonding, bridging, and linking social capital while remaining open to context-specific insights. Findings/Result The findings indicate that waste management challenges on Banda Neira Island are driven primarily by fragmented governance, weak policy implementation, limited institutional coordination, unresolved landfill land tenure, and inadequate infrastructure. Community social capital complements formal governance by strengthening collective action, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and improving access to external resources. Their integration enhances participation, institutional coordination, capacity building, and adaptive waste management. Conclusions Sustainable waste management on small islands requires governance approaches that extend beyond infrastructure by incorporating locally embedded social capital. This study contributes to small island governance literature by demonstrating that social capital is a structurally embedded component of effective and adaptive waste governance. These findings provide practical insights for policymakers and practitioners in small island and peripheral coastal regions facing similar ecological and institutional constraints.</ns5:p>