Rivers play a prominent role in the lives of Indonesians. Many communities rely on rivers to meet their daily needs. Water utilities also use raw water supply from rivers.
Unfortunately, many rivers in Indonesia are in poor condition and are highly contaminated by domestic and industrial waste. This condition threatens the sustainability of water supply for communities.
To celebrate the 2023 National River Day, USAID IUWASH Tangguh partnered with the River Management Agency of North Sumatra and the Public Works and Water Sources of East Java to host talk shows on the importance of safeguarding rivers.
The talk show in East Java was held in Pasuruan on July 26th and the one in North Sumatra took place in Medan on July 27th. More than 150 people from various government offices, community-based groups, and academia participated in the talk shows in the two provinces. These talk shows reminded everyone about the rivers’ significant roles in the lives of many Indonesians and call all stakeholders to jointly safeguard the rivers.
The Head of Infrastructure and Regions Division of the North Sumatra’s Regional Research and Development Planning Agency, Mr. Ihsan Azhari, highlighted the importance of raising communities’ awareness.
“It is necessary to conduct education, public awareness activities, and massive campaigns to communities, particularly to those living on riverbanks,” said Ihsan Azhari when attending the talk show in North Sumatra.
The representative of East Java’s Environment Office, Ms. Anjarwati, highlighted that all stakeholders are responsible for taking care of rivers. She also invited communities to contact the authorities when they find river related issues.
The talk show in East Java was followed up by a ceremony in Umbulan spring on July 27, 2023. USAID IUWASH Tangguh used this event to promote safely managed drinking water and sanitation. In North Sumatra, the National River Day celebration ended with a tree planting ceremony in Al Azhar University where an arboretum will be built.
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