Community participation is crucial in monitoring the quality of the Kapuas River, which supplies water for the residents of Pontianak city, its surrounding areas, and local water utilities. Hence, USAID’s flagship climate-resilient water and sanitation activity, IUWASH Tangguh, supports the Pontianak city government to educate communities on this issue.
On August 13, 2024, USAID IUWASH Tangguh collaborated with the Environmental Office of Pontianak city, local academics, and community groups to train 70 people to monitor the water quality of the Kapuas River. During the training, the facilitators from USAID IUWASH Tangguh and local academics taught the participants how to measure water quality using various parameters, such as pH, total suspended solids, color of the water, and the findings of biological life.
Additionally, facilitators from the Sangsakha community group, who have previously received training on mWater from USAID IUWASH Tangguh, guided the participants in using the application to input water quality monitoring results from the riverbanks and middle of the river.
The water quality check revealed that pollution levels in areas adjacent to residential zones are higher than other parts of the river, highlighting the necessity to educate community members on the benefits of safeguarding the Kapuas River’s water quality. The participants will share the results of the water quality monitoring to the environmental office of Pontianak city for further policy making.
By participating in the training, participants became citizen scientists who will monitor water quality regularly, advocate community members to protect water quality, and identify community members who experience challenges in accessing water.
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