Learning to Love the River Through 'Ciliwung River Adventure'

Behind the grandeur of Jakarta as a global city, flooding remains a challenge that has not been fully overcome. Year after year, inundation continues to haunt various areas, particularly coastal regions and settlements along the banks of major rivers such as the Ciliwung and Pesanggrahan rivers.

This issue is inseparable from the behaviour of some members of the public. Many residents still live on the riverbanks, while others continue to dispose of rubbish into the river currents.

This condition has long been witnessed by Rama (40), a volunteer with the Khatulistiwa Rescue Team. He even refers to the Ciliwung River as a ‘department store’ or a place where everything is available.

“If you want to look for anything, it is here. Shoes, clothes, even blankets, refrigerators, televisions, up to wardrobes are all here,” said Rama.

According to him, many people throw rubbish into the river without considering the impact on the environment or the potential for flooding. “What they think is that their rubbish disappears, whereas in reality, it will never truly disappear,” he added.