Legal Problems Regarding Human Remain Management with Environmental Impact

Abstract

            The study has found that for cases of burial, the issues with local regulations identified include the methods of burial in accordance with local ordinances leading to inefficient land use and the permanent utilization of land for burial purposes, which does not maximize the land's potential benefits. Moreover, the local regulations allow for the inclusion of wooden coffins in the burial, which do not decompose easily, thus not maximizing the wood's potential benefits. For cases of cremation, the local regulations do not specifically stipulate the particular features of cremation furnaces, such as the number of burning chambers required. Additionally, the local regulations lack provisions regarding the separation of materials that should not be burned prior to the cremation process and do not impose prohibitions or conditions concerning the inclusion of additional items during the cremation process. Consequently, these factors contribute to increase the likelihood of air pollution resulting from such cremation.

            At any rate, it is anticipated that the number of deaths in our world will increase. Consequently, the human remain management in accordance with the law, whether by means of burial or cremation, has an impact on the environment. If there is an amendment or addition to the provisions in the law to clarify the methods of human remain management or adding alternative human remain management using environmentally friendly human remain management practices, it will transform human remain management in the country into an activity that utilizes natural resources efficiently, is cost-effective, and reduces environmental damage.