Learning to Love the River Through 'Ciliwung River Adventure'

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Behind Jakarta’s grandeur as a global city, flooding remains a challenge that has not been fully overcome. Year after year, inundation continues to haunt various areas, especially coastal regions and settlements along the banks of major rivers such as the Ciliwung and Pesanggrahan. This problem is inseparable from the behaviour of some residents. Many people still live on the riverbanks, while others continue to dump rubbish into the waterways. This condition has long been witnessed by Rama (40), a volunteer with the Khatulistiwa Rescue Team. He even nicknamed the Ciliwung River a ‘toserba’, or department store. ‘If you want to find something, it’s all here. Shoes, clothes, even blankets, refrigerators, televisions, and cupboards are all here,’ Rama said. According to him, many people throw rubbish into the river without considering the impact on the environment or the potential for flooding it causes. ‘All they think about is their rubbish disappearing, when in fact it will never disappear,’ he said. Through activities like this, as Jakarta approaches its five-century mark in 2027, it is hoped that the capital’s rivers will no longer be seen as rubbish dumps, but rather as living spaces that must be protected together.