The program is a multi-agency effort combining resources from the Jakarta Water Resources Office, the Environment Office, the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), and local conservation groups like the Khatulistiwa Rescue Team.
Timed to coincide with the peak celebrations of Jakarta’s 499th anniversary this weekend, the monthly initiative offers free educational river tours to the public.
“This initiative aims to educate the public on the critical importance of keeping our rivers clean and ending the habit of dumping household waste into the water,” Jakarta Water Resources Office Secretary Nugraharyadi said Saturday.
Historically critical but long plagued by heavy pollution, clogging, and urban runoff, the Ciliwung River is Jakarta’s oldest and most vital river system.
The new program seeks to alter public perception of the waterway by turning conservation into an interactive experience.
During the guided boat tours, emergency personnel provide safety briefings, while conservationists detail the river’s ecological history and current preservation challenges.
Participants actively join cleanup efforts by using hand nets to skim floating plastic debris and waste directly from the river.
Once back at the docks, the collected waste is processed at designated sorting stations, where city environmental officers train participants in proper waste segregation and recycling techniques.
Municipal officials emphasize that shifting public behavior is crucial for the city’s long-term flood mitigation and environmental health. “It may seem like a small effort, but it is a habit that we urgently need to instill across the community,” Nugraharyadi added.
Translator: Lifia, Kenzu
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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