Mercu Buana University Develops Smart Rain Garden for Water Conservation

Universitas Mercu Buana (UMB) has developed a Smart Rain Garden as a rainwater harvesting system to support water conservation in urban areas. The technology is designed to reduce rainwater runoff while providing an irrigation source for urban agriculture. The innovation was implemented through the 2026 Region-Based Empowerment Scheme Community Service Programme in Pinang Subdistrict, Tangerang City. The programme involved collaboration between UMB, the Climate Village Programme Group (ProKlim), the Women Farmers Group (KWT), and the Tangerang City Environmental Agency. Uly Amrina, head of the UMB community service team, stated that rainwater management in urban areas has so far been oriented towards draining water through drainage systems. She noted that rainwater can actually be utilised as a resource to support water conservation and food security. “Through the Smart Rain Garden, we aim to change the community’s perspective on rainwater. Rainwater is no longer seen as a cause of flooding that must be immediately drained, but as a resource that can be stored, monitored, and reused to support water conservation and urban agriculture,” Uly said in a press release on Thursday (30/7/2026). In its implementation, the Smart Rain Garden integrates a Ground Water Tank (GWT) as an underground rainwater storage system with a network of piping, pumps, water towers, soil moisture sensors, water level sensors, and a digital monitoring system. This technology allows rainwater that previously became runoff to be reused as an irrigation source for agricultural land managed by the Women Farmers Group. Beyond building infrastructure, the programme also emphasises community capacity building through socialisation, training, and mentoring on system operation, facility maintenance, and water-efficient cultivation practices. A maintenance team was also formed to ensure the operational sustainability of the Smart Rain Garden. Uly stated that the programme’s success is measured not only by the technology built but also by the community’s ability to manage and maintain the system independently. “We hope this Smart Rain Garden model can become an example of good practice that can be replicated in other urban residential areas. Collaboration between universities, local government, and the community is key to building cities that are more resilient to climate change,” she said. The programme implementation team was led by Uly Amrina with members Winda Widyanty, Sylvia Indriany, and Fajar Rahayu Ikhwannul Mariati. The four lecturers from UMB’s Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Economics and Business integrated engineering, environmental, management, and community empowerment approaches in developing the Smart Rain Garden system. The programme received support from the Tangerang City Environmental Agency from the planning stage, site identification, technical assistance, to field monitoring. The programme also obtained funding through the 2026 Region-Based Empowerment Scheme Community Service Programme from the Directorate of Research and Community Service, Directorate General of Research and Development, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. UMB hopes the Smart Rain Garden can become a community-based water conservation model that can be replicated in various urban areas to strengthen environmental resilience while supporting the development of sustainable urban agriculture.