Creative Plastic Boat Parade Enlivens Ciliwung Festival 2025

Jakarta Provincial Government held the Ciliwung Festival and Cilung (Cinta Lingkungan) Boat Parade on Jalan MT Haryono, Cikoko Urban Village, Pancoran, South Jakarta, on Sunday (9/28).

"Rivers are the root of Jakarta's development,"

Commemorating World Rivers Day, the event showcased a lively parade featuring 45 boats made from used plastic bottles.

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Jakarta Secretary Assistant for Development and Environment, Affan Andriansyah Idris, expressed appreciation to Environment Agency for initiating the event. He noted that rivers in Jakarta hold deep social and cultural significance for the local community.

Affan explained that the connection between Betawi communities and rivers is so strong that there used to be a tradition called Ngobak, where people would bathe or soak together in large rivers like the Ciliwung River.

"Rivers are the root of Jakarta's development. Geographically, Jakarta is crossed by 13 rivers and streams," he mentioned.

Affan acknowledged that not all rivers in Jakarta are currently in ideal condition. Therefore, Governor Pramono Anung and Vice Governor Rano Karno are paying serious attention to river and stream revitalization efforts.

Aside from river layout issues, Affan pointed out that waste is another major concern. He hopes the festival helps raise public awareness about the importance of keeping rivers clean.

He added that this collective spirit is expected to improve river quality, so they can eventually become tourism destinations.

As a pilot program, Governor Pramono has launched the revitalization of the West Flood Canal (KBB) as a river tourism destination in Jakarta.

KBB will be repurposed to allow tourist boat rides. Beyond improving environmental and cultural value, this effort is also expected to benefit the local economy by creating new job opportunities.

The activation of KBB as a river tourism destination is targeted for completion by the end of 2026. If successful, similar programs will be implemented in other rivers and canals across Jakarta.

"We need support from residents and business sector to keep our rivers clean. Once river conditions improve, there will be greater potential for water tourism and the preservation of culture and nature along Jakarta's waterways," he said.

Jakarta Environment Agency Head, Asep Kuswanto, explained that Ciliwung Festival and Cilung Boat Parade featured 45 boats from 44 sub-districts across Jakarta. Each boat required between 700-1,000 used plastic bottles to build.

Asep emphasized that the event also served as a way to educate the public on how waste can be transformed into products with economic value. For this reason, the festival also featured an exhibition of recycled products from various urban villages across Jakarta.

He added that his agency continues to improve air and water quality in Jakarta through various programs and monitoring efforts, including river water monitoring, which involves 120 sampling points tested four times a year.

Asep emphasized that these initiatives are part of a broader effort to reduce waste and enhance Jakarta's environmental quality. He also noted that next year' s festival is set to return on a larger scale.

"Next year, we'll make it even bigger, with a cultural theme," he revealed.