Skip to content
  • About
  • Partner with Us
  • Indonesia
Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Topics
  • Latest
  • News
  • Press Release
  • Brief
  • Interview
  • Figure
  • Opinion
  • Community
  • Youth
  • SDGs
  • Event
  • Training
  • Featured
  • News

Sungai Watch Reached the 100th Barrier Milestone in Protecting Our Rivers

Clean rivers lead to a cleaner ocean. In the war against plastic pollution, Sungai Watch has installed 100 trash barriers to protect rivers in Bali, Indonesia.
by Nazalea Kusuma August 24, 2021

The team of Sungai Watch cleaning up the water hyacinth in one of Bali's river.

Recently, a research article revealed that 80% of global ocean plastic pollution comes from more than 1000 rivers. On August 20, 2021, Sungai Watch installed its 100th trash barrier in Bali, Indonesia.

Sungai Watch (River Watch) is a community river cleanup organization with a mission to protect the waterways. This organization is a part of Make A Change World, a media outlet and environmental organization focusing on plastic pollution. Make A Change World started in 2009 as Make A Change Bali, founded by teenagers Sam Bencheghib, Gary Bencheghib, and Kelly Bencheghib.

Sungai Watch utilizes TrashBarriers to strain rivers, preventing waste from passing through to the ocean. Three types of TrashBarriers with different materials to suit various river sizes are used: Mini Floater, Floater, and Walker. The biggest barrier so far resides on Yeh Sungi river, which is 37m wide and Bali’s second most polluting river.

The careful structure and installation of TrashBarriers allow marine life to pass through freely. Sungai Watch builds all of the barriers in-house. To this day, this organization keeps finding new ways to create better, more sustainable barriers.

TrashBarriers blocking the waste from passing through after a big rain.

Volunteers—called River Warriors—and workers do weekly river cleanups. They take the waste intercepted by the barriers to Sungai Watch Research Station for washing, sorting, and data-taking purposes. These data are processed and analyzed for River Plastic Report.

Sungai Watch believes that data is essential to start a conversation with all stakeholders. The first River Plastic Report contains data from 9 cleanups in 8 locations in South Bali from August to September 2020. From 450,000 kg of waste, plastic bags made up 18.5% of it.

They have a team working on developing affordable and replicable solutions to massively scale its operations. In the meantime, they believe that localizing waste management is the best course of action. Beraban is the first village to implement this, handling waste from 30 rivers in Tabanan.

In addition to the regular activities, Sungai Watch often organizes emergency cleanups. Most recently, the workers and volunteers cleaned up an illegal landfill. They cleaned up 75 tons of plastic waste from 22 hectares of mangrove forest in Juwet Sari in June.

sungai watch
Photo by Sungai Watch.

Today, Sungai Watch has 100 barriers protecting 92 rivers in 28 villages around Bali, 3 Research Stations, a team of 50 staff, and hundreds of volunteers. This environmental organization is currently researching and developing ways to create value out of garbage, such as making bricks from plastic waste.

After their 100th barrier milestone, Sungai Watch now looks to protect 1,000 more rivers and expand its operations outside of Bali. They have hosted the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime & Investment Affairs to explore an expansion to Java.

Editor: Marlis Afridah

Images Source: Make A Change World

We can follow Sungai Watch’s journey to protect our waterways on Instagram.

 

Thank you for reading!
If you find this article insightful, subscribe to Green Network Asia’s Weekly Newsletter to stay up-to-date with sustainable development news and stories from multistakeholder communities in the Asia Pacific and beyond.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Photo Profile Nazalea Kusuma
Nazalea Kusuma
Editor at Green Network | Website | + posts

Naz is the Manager for International Editorial at Green Network Asia. She once studied Urban and Regional Planning and has lived in multiple cities across Southeast Asia. She is an experienced and passionate writer, editor, translator, and creative designer with almost a decade worth of portfolio.

  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report: Accelerating capacity building for sustainable development
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    How Consumers and Companies Move Toward Sustainable Packaging
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    5 Things Cities Can Do to Fulfil Your Right to Clean Air
  • Nazalea Kusuma
    https://greennetwork.asia/author/nazalea/
    Gender-Responsive Policy to Empower Women in Uzbekistan's Forest-Dependent Communities

Continue Reading

Previous: IPCC New Report Calls for Strong and Immediate Action to Limit Irreversible Climate Change Effects
Next: Sex Education for the Monks and Nuns of Bhutan

Related Stories

an aerial photo of trucks in the middle of sand field UNEP Report Shares Recommendations to Improve Sand Sustainability
  • Featured
  • News

UNEP Report Shares Recommendations to Improve Sand Sustainability

by Kresentia Madina September 27, 2023
a woman, Lian Gogali, is wearing a red knitted sweater on top of white outfit while standing in front of a door. Lian Gogali Brings Back Harmony in Poso with Schools of Peace
  • Featured
  • Figure
  • Partner

Lian Gogali Brings Back Harmony in Poso with Schools of Peace

by Abul Muamar September 26, 2023
a hand doing an OK pose against an orange background British Sign Language Added 200 New Environmental-Related Signs to Its Vocabulary
  • Featured
  • News

British Sign Language Added 200 New Environmental-Related Signs to Its Vocabulary

by Kresentia Madina September 25, 2023
a woman, butet manurung, in glasses holding a blackboard with alphabets on it Butet Manurung Provides a Liberating Education for Orang Rimba, the Indigenous People of Jambi
  • Featured
  • Figure
  • Partner

Butet Manurung Provides a Liberating Education for Orang Rimba, the Indigenous People of Jambi

by Abul Muamar September 22, 2023
illustrated cover of the 2023 global sustainable development report The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report: Accelerating capacity building for sustainable development
  • Brief
  • Featured

The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report: Accelerating capacity building for sustainable development

by Nazalea Kusuma September 21, 2023
a screenshot of a Zoom meeting consisting of a woman and three men Energy Transition in Indonesia: Exploring the Potential, Progress, and Implications
  • Featured
  • News

Energy Transition in Indonesia: Exploring the Potential, Progress, and Implications

by Kresentia Madina September 20, 2023
  • Latest
  • Popular
  • Partner
  • a man in suit and glasses speaking at the podium with blurry audience in the foreground COP28 President-Designate to UN Climate Ambition Summit: “We are not powerless” to overcome the climate crisis and urges world to “Get after Gigatons”
    • Press Release

    COP28 President-Designate to UN Climate Ambition Summit: “We are not powerless” to overcome the climate crisis and urges world to “Get after Gigatons”

  • an aerial photo of trucks in the middle of sand field UNEP Report Shares Recommendations to Improve Sand Sustainability
    • Featured
    • News

    UNEP Report Shares Recommendations to Improve Sand Sustainability

  • a woman, Lian Gogali, is wearing a red knitted sweater on top of white outfit while standing in front of a door. Lian Gogali Brings Back Harmony in Poso with Schools of Peace
    • Featured
    • Figure
    • Partner

    Lian Gogali Brings Back Harmony in Poso with Schools of Peace

  • a hand doing an OK pose against an orange background British Sign Language Added 200 New Environmental-Related Signs to Its Vocabulary
    • Featured
    • News

    British Sign Language Added 200 New Environmental-Related Signs to Its Vocabulary

  • a woman, butet manurung, in glasses holding a blackboard with alphabets on it Butet Manurung Provides a Liberating Education for Orang Rimba, the Indigenous People of Jambi
    • Featured
    • Figure
    • Partner

    Butet Manurung Provides a Liberating Education for Orang Rimba, the Indigenous People of Jambi

  • The green landscape of Semakau Island in Singapore Semakau Island, the Green Landfill in Singapore
    • Featured
    • News

    Semakau Island, the Green Landfill in Singapore

  • Indonesian spices as cultural heritage Enthusiasts Reclaim Spices’ Cultural Heritage, Launch Spice Hub Indonesia
    • Featured
    • News

    Enthusiasts Reclaim Spices’ Cultural Heritage, Launch Spice Hub Indonesia

  • illustration of National SDG tracker by Unescap UNESCAP Supports “Build Back Better” with the National SDG Tracker
    • Featured
    • News

    UNESCAP Supports “Build Back Better” with the National SDG Tracker

  • Beena Rao and Her Fight for Education for the Children of the Slums
    • Figure

    Beena Rao and Her Fight for Education for the Children of the Slums

  • Muslimat NU of Bojong-Tegal Campaigns Environmental Protection, Reduces Waste Production
    • Featured
    • News

    Muslimat NU of Bojong-Tegal Campaigns Environmental Protection, Reduces Waste Production

  • a woman, Lian Gogali, is wearing a red knitted sweater on top of white outfit while standing in front of a door. Lian Gogali Brings Back Harmony in Poso with Schools of Peace
    • Featured
    • Figure
    • Partner

    Lian Gogali Brings Back Harmony in Poso with Schools of Peace

  • a woman, butet manurung, in glasses holding a blackboard with alphabets on it Butet Manurung Provides a Liberating Education for Orang Rimba, the Indigenous People of Jambi
    • Featured
    • Figure
    • Partner

    Butet Manurung Provides a Liberating Education for Orang Rimba, the Indigenous People of Jambi

  • a woman, Indah Darmastuti, sitting in front of a wall with a mirror hanging on it. Indah Darmastuti Makes Literature More Inclusive for Visually Impaired People
    • Featured
    • Figure
    • Partner

    Indah Darmastuti Makes Literature More Inclusive for Visually Impaired People

  • a man with phocomelia in blue t-shirt sitting on a wheelchair in front of a painting Agus Yusuf Aspires to Open an Inclusive Art School for Artists with Disabilities
    • Featured
    • Figure
    • Partner

    Agus Yusuf Aspires to Open an Inclusive Art School for Artists with Disabilities

  • a man, Kristopel Bili, wearing a cap, t-shirt, and a blue scarf Kristopel Bili Looks After Sumba’s Forests and Culture through Literature
    • Featured
    • Figure
    • Partner

    Kristopel Bili Looks After Sumba’s Forests and Culture through Literature

About Us

  • About
  • #LetterfromtheFounder
  • The Team
  • Advisory Network
  • Youth Advisory Network
  • Contributor Network
  • Press Release Guidelines
  • Op-ed Article Guidelines
  • Community Article Guidelines
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Telegram
  • Etsy
  • Tokopedia
  • Media Link 11
  • Media Link 12
  • Media Link 13
  • Media Link 14
  • Media Link 15
© 2023 Green Network Asia