The Welang River Project: working together to protect the river and the community

Date:

15 Nov' 2024

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The Welang River in East Java, Indonesia, is a lifeline for the people who live nearby, providing water for daily use and supporting local agriculture. However, as cities expand and populations grow, the river has faced increasing problems such as flooding, erosion, and pollution. In response, the Governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands invest in the Welang River Basin Transformation Project to tackle these challenges and protect both the river and the people who depend on it.

The project is built around a central idea: collaboration. Local communities, government officials, and environmental experts are all working together to develop smart water management solutions that address the river’s problems. What makes this project unique is its focus on local ownership by involving everyone in the process, ensuring that solutions are created by listening to the needs and ideas of the people who live near the river.

The Welang River Project adopts a collaborative, step-by-step approach to co-create practical and sustainable solutions that meet community needs. It begins by engaging with local residents to understand their issues, such as flooding or limited access to clean water. With these insights, local residents, government officials, and experts work together to develop solutions. After initial testing, community feedback is used to refine these ideas, enhancing their effectiveness. The final, improved solutions are then implemented in coordination with government plans to ensure they can be scaled for broader impact.

The role of Trusted Advisors

A key element of the project’s success is the involvement of Trusted Advisors. These are local experts who know the area well and play an essential role in guiding the project. Their job is to make sure the solutions are not only smart but also long-lasting and beneficial for the community in the long run.

For instance, Pak Eko Setyawan, a soil expert from Malang University, provided evidence-based support by monitoring the riverbanks to see how stable the soil is before and after implementation of demo plots to prevent erosion. His measurements help the project and stakeholders understand whether these interventions are working and provide valuable data for future projects.

Similarly, Pak Syukur Sugeng Apriwiyanto, an expert in waste management, has developed a recycling and composting program for an elementary school near the river. The students have embraced this program, and many have even started teaching their families about recycling. The program has been so successful that other schools in East Java are considering adopting it, showing how small, practical steps can lead to wider change.

One of the standout features of the project has been its close collaboration with academic institutions like Malang University, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), and Brawijaya University. These partnerships have provided students – the future water managers – with hands-on experience in field research and given the project valuable insights into flood behavior, community perceptions, and the effectiveness of flood defenses. By involving universities, the project has been able to combine cutting-edge research with practical solutions.

The Welang Project: A model for future water management

The success of the Welang River Project so far is a testament to the power of collaboration. The Trusted Advisors, with their diverse expertise, have played a vital role in shaping the project’s strategies, ensuring that the solutions are grounded in local knowledge and research. As the project prepares to wrap up, the contributions of these advisors will continue to make a lasting impact, demonstrating how local involvement and expert guidance can foster sustainable development and positive change.

By working together, the Welang River Project is not just solving today’s problems – it is building a model for how communities can protect their natural resources for future generations.