Skip to main content

Citarum Living Lab, an effort to revitalize river collaboratively based on the community

Citarum Living Lab, an effort to revitalize river collaboratively based on the community

NEWS - The Citarum River, one of Indonesia’s most polluted waterways, is undergoing a transformation towards revitalisation through an innovative “Living Lab” approach. Research led by Monash University explores how the Citarum Living Lab contributes to planetary health in response to global river pollution and economic development imperatives.

The Citarum River in West Java, Indonesia, is a critical source of water, food, energy and livelihood for over 25 million people.

The Citarum Living Lab is an effort to collaboratively restore and empower rivers. A pioneering program that combines community-led, cross-disciplinary research and practical interventions to address pollution, urbanisation and climate change impacts.

The project brings together local communities, government, NGOs, businesses and researchers to collaboratively develop and test sustainable solutions to restore river ecosystems. An initiative that explores local knowledge and encourages community participation to create scalable solutions that balance economic, social and environmental needs.

"Through the Citarum Living Lab, we aim to empower communities and stakeholders to collaboratively develop actionable strategies to address the complex challenges facing the Citarum River," said Paris Hadfield, Research Fellow from Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI)

A new approach to more inclusive and effective watershed management, particularly in peri-urban environments. The research focuses on the importance of local engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing global environmental challenges and sustainable development goals. A key aspect of the project is practical and sustainable design interventions.

"The design element is critical to this project, as it helps integrate technical solutions with the social fabric of the community. This creates a system that is not only efficient but also culturally and socially resonant," said Michaela Prescott from Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA)

Original research

Hadfield P, Prescott M, Holden J, Novalia W, Suwarso R, Marthanty DR, et al. (2024). Citarum Living Lab: Co-creating visions for sustainable river revitalisation. PLOS Water 3(8): e0000200, DOI:10.1371/journal.pwat.0000200

Popular Posts

Mashpi walkingstick (Trychopeplus mashpiensis) from Chocó, Ecuador, based on males, females and eggs

NEWS - Researchers report Mashpi walkingstick ( Trychopeplus mashpiensis Conle, Valero & Hennemann, sp. nov.) from the Chocó ecoregion of northwestern Ecuador is new to science based on its unique body ornamentation and egg structure morphology. Trychopeplus Shelford 1909 is a genus of Neotropical stick insects (Phasmida Leach 1815) known for its remarkable morphological adaptations that allow it to blend in almost perfectly with epiphytic lichens in its habitat. These adaptations make Trychopeplus one of the most cryptic stick insect genera. The genus was described to distinguish the Neotropical species from Pericentrus Redtenbacher 1908 based on morphological differences and distinct geographic distribution compared to the type species Pericentrus moewisi Redtenbacher 1908. Pericentrus is known to be restricted to East and South Asia, whereas Trychopeplus is endemic to the Neotropics. Oskar Conle from the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Germany, Pablo Valero from the Un...

Giant shield bug (Pycanum alternatum)

Giant shield bug or pycanum rubens ( Pycanum alternatum ) is a species of animal in Tessaratomidae, has a large shield covering the back, shiny green-blue-brown colored and appears to have a powder or wax layer, inhabiting the leaves of plants in open forests or bushes . P. alternatum is also called a stink bug because of its ability to release pungent aromas when disturbed. These insects live solitary with a partner and usually the mother gather in a family together in nymphs. White eggs are attached under the leaves of the plant. Nymphs can be found in the same host as their parent. The nymph has a flat rectangular shape with a large vein in the middle like a flat leaf. Nymphs having striking colors are light green, orange and red. Color may represent various stages of development or gender. The initial stage has a small size and red color. It grows in a bigger size and turns orange then ends in green. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hemipter...

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...