The Citarum River is the longest river in West Java, Indonesia. About 20 million people rely on it for agricultural, domestic use, including households in Jakarta. Yet, it has also been ranked as “the most polluted river in the world”.
Flossie realize the shocking reality of Citarum River, and she’s not the only one.
In 2017, Gary and his brother, Sam, travelled down the Citarum river on two plastic bottle kayaks to raise awareness about the rapid need for change. President Jokowi heard it.
I think the gathering of all these different communities coming together proves to be the most powerful weapon to really bring change. ~ Gary Bencheghib, Founder of Make A Change World
The Remedies
- Over 7,000 people have been deployed for a full rehabilitation of the river, including the Indonesian army, local communitites and national and regional governments.
- Communities coming up with creative ways to stop the flow of plastic.
- Waste banks and recycling centers being set up in 22 sections along the river.
- Rehabilitation plan includes large reforestation and pollution regulations.
The Citarum River Clean Up
Water is life.
The Citarum river clean up has become Indonesia’s big pilot project to protect its waters.
Indonesia is now sending out a message to the world that it’s not too late, that there is still hope to restore what we’ve destroyed.
#CitarumHarum
Notes
If you want to read further about the other side of Citarum’s story, check out RT Documentary’s video report:
