Congress Of Indonesian Rivers Calls For Revolution In River Management

Minggu, 30 Agustus 2015 19:52 WIB

Menko PMK Puan Maharani (tengah), didampingi Gubernur Jateng Ganjar Pranowo (kedua kiri) dan Bupati Banjarnegara Sutedjo Slamet Utomo (kiri), membuka Kongres Sungai Indonesia di Balai Budaya Banjarnegara, Jateng, Rabu (26/8). Kongres Sungai Indonesia

The "Serayu Declaration" issued at the Serayu River rafting pier, called for a revolution in the management of rivers and river basin areas.

"We, the participants of the Indonesian River Congress, realize that rivers in Indonesia are dying...," the Serayu Declaration read out by Muhammad Yusron of South Sulawesi, said.

Some indications that the rivers are dying include river pollution, severe flood and drought, biodiversity loss, source of livelihood loss, no respect to rivers, river sedimentation, and river basin area damage, the declaration stated.

The Central Java governor in his opening remarks called for the public participation in maintaining the cleanliness of rivers.

"We realize that the welfare of nature depends on the welfare of human beings, and the welfare of human beings depends on the welfare of nature," the governor said before the participants of the congress which was organized from August 26 to 30, 2015.

The second Congress of Indonesian River will be organized in Selorejo, East Java Province, the third congress in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, and the fourth in Jakarta.