Banten Provincial Government Educates on Water Conservation Through Short Film Competition

The Banten Provincial Government, through its Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency, has utilised a creative short film competition as a strategy to educate the public on the importance of water resource conservation. The agency’s head, Arlan Marzan, explained on Wednesday in Serang that as part of the 2026 World Water Day commemorations, the competition was held to build public awareness through a medium more readily accepted by the wider community. “Through this competition, the regional government wants to show that young people should not just be spectators, but must become messengers of change in society,” Arlan said. The Banten Provincial Government adopted the theme ‘Water and Gender’ for the competition, which was attended by 80 participants across student, university, and general categories. This theme was chosen because the regional government views women as having a very important and strategic role in water management, particularly within the family environment. Banten Governor Andra Soni expressed his appreciation for this strategic move, assessing that the works produced by participants successfully translated the government’s message regarding the importance of safeguarding the sustainability of water rights for future generations. “These short films are not merely works of art, but a reflection of the people’s voice as well as a highly effective educational medium,” stated Andra Soni. This year’s World Water Day commemoration was also used by the Banten Provincial Government to strengthen its coordination function through the Inauguration of the Banten Province Water Resources Council Members for the 2026–2030 Period, aiming to instil awareness that water governance is a shared responsibility from upstream to downstream. To ensure the educational message was well delivered, the Banten Provincial Government implemented a strict selection process involving a panel of judges from professional and practitioner backgrounds. Assessment focused on story quality, message strength, theme compliance, and the magnitude of educational impact on the community. The winning works from the student and university category were: first place for ‘Sebelum Waktunya’ (Before Its Time) by SMAN 3 Kota Serang, second place for ‘Sa Tetes’ (A Drop) by SMK PGRI 1 Tangerang, and third place for ‘Bukan Sekadar Tetes’ (Not Just Drops) by Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University. For the general category, first place went to ‘Nasihat Ibu’ (A Mother’s Advice) by Sadulur Kreatif, second place to ‘Tagihan Bulan Ini’ (This Month’s Bill) by ADC Banten, and third place to ‘Perempuan Penjaga Muara’ (The Women Guardians of the Estuary) by The Sukanda Production.