Identification of important efforts in urban river water quality management (case study of Cikapundung River, Bandung, Indonesia)

Abstract

Rivers located in urban areas in Indonesia, frequently suffer by severe pollution caused by the waste of people activities who directly disposed into the river without prior processing. Therefore it is necessary to study the improvement efforts that can be conducted in order to recover the condition of the river, especially considering the water quality problem. This study was prepared to identify the important efforts to manage the urban river water quality. The study was initiated by learning how the Kitakyushu City, Japan improved the quality of its river. The next step is to conduct a focus group discussion of stakeholders in Bandung City as a case study of this urban river improvement. The Cikapundung River is selected as the location of the study, in connection with the Citarum River as its main river. In-depth interviews were also conducted to explore in detail the efforts that can be applied in big cities in Indonesia in managing the quality of river water. Based on this study, there are 3 main efforts that can be conducted, i.e. the facility development of domestic sewage treatment by the government, strict law enforcement and continuous education for the community.