Khofifah calls for collaboration to preserve rivers
Surabaya (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has called on all elements of society to strengthen collaboration in protecting and preserving rivers as an investment for the sustainability of life. The appeal was made specifically to coincide with the momentum of the 2026 National River Day commemoration.
“Protecting rivers means protecting life. Therefore, efforts to restore and preserve rivers must be a shared responsibility. The government cannot work alone. Collaboration from all elements of society is needed so that rivers remain a well-preserved source of life,” Khofifah said in a statement in Surabaya on Monday.
Khofifah stated that rivers play a strategic role as providers of raw water, agricultural irrigation, ecosystem support, flood control, and drivers of community economic activity. However, their existence is currently facing challenges due to pollution, waste accumulation, environmental damage, and pressure from human activities.
According to her, East Java Province has several strategic rivers that support community life, including the Brantas River along with the Mas and Porong Rivers, the Bengawan Solo River along with the Madiun River, the Sampean River, the Bondoyudo and Bedadung Rivers, as well as the Rejoso and Welang Rivers.
“For this reason, this National River Day commemoration should be a momentum for all of us to commit to protecting and restoring rivers. Because we need rivers, but often human activities are the ones that damage this source of our lives,” Khofifah said.
As a form of commitment, the East Java Provincial Government continues to run various river conservation programmes through river tracing activities, river patrols, and spring protection. These programmes aim to identify river conditions, strengthen supervision against potential pollution, and maintain the sustainability of water resources.
Khofifah stressed that coordination among stakeholders is key to addressing river issues, including pollution originating from industrial activities. She also expressed appreciation for the organisation of the 2026 Indonesian River Conference at the Sumber Gempong Spring Ecotourism site in Ketapanrame Village, Trawas District, Mojokerto Regency.
The forum was attended by around 170 river communities and nearly 500 environmental activists from Aceh to Papua to share best practices and strengthen commitment to river conservation through seminars, river clean-up actions, tree planting, and the formulation of a joint declaration.
Khofifah expressed hope that National River Day would become a momentum to strengthen the culture of mutual cooperation in protecting rivers so that the sustainability of water resources is maintained for future generations.