The plastic pollution crisis in Indonesia has reached alarming proportions, prompting a young environmentalist named Sam Benchegjib to take action.
In response to the worsening state of the country’s waterways, Benchegjib founded Sungai Watch, an organization committed to preserving Indonesia’s aquatic ecosystems by deploying river barriers to prevent plastic and other debris from entering the ocean.
The scale of the problem is daunting. From a single village alone, approximately 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean each week. The issue stems from a lack of effective plastic waste management in Indonesia’s coastal communities, which ranks as the second-largest contributor to the global ocean plastic crisis. In a bid to combat this crisis, the Indonesian government has pledged one billion dollars with the goal of reducing marine plastic waste by 70% by 2025.
Sungai Watch emerged in October 2020, spearheaded by Sam Benchegjib and his two siblings. Their journey in establishing this organization was fraught with numerous challenges, spanning nearly three years. From grappling with the intricacies of technology and equipment for their river barriers to facing staffing shortages and navigating the learning curve of project scaling, they encountered obstacles at every turn. Despite these challenges, Benchegjib emphasizes that they remain dedicated to continuous learning and process improvement.
The primary objective of Sungai Watch is to clean some of Indonesia’s most heavily polluted rivers and rejuvenate damaged mangrove ecosystems, largely impacted by plastic pollution. Their method involves the implementation of a system akin to litter booms. Incredibly, they have managed to remove over 1.2 million kilograms (approximately 2.6 million pounds) of plastic waste from various river systems and bodies of water.
“I grew up in Indonesia and saw that plastic pollution was getting worse and worse throughout the years,” Benchegjib said.
“I think that’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur and fighting an issue like plastic pollution, where new challenges and variables are always presented to you. This has been a true-life school for us,” he adds.
In addition to this significant cleanup effort, Sungai Watch has installed 180 trash barriers along Indonesia’s most polluted rivers. This feat is even more impressive when considering that the organization has transitioned from a humble team of three siblings to now employing a full-time staff of 100 individuals, all passionately committed to the mission of cleaning and conserving these vital water resources.
Benchegjib says, “Some of our success stories include seeing fish populations return to what were once extremely polluted waterways, reviving mangrove forests after removing layers and layers of plastic, which were suffocating mangrove trees.”
One striking aspect of their work is the proactive approach taken in certain locations. In some rivers, the barriers have been removed, not because they were ineffective, but rather due to the remarkable reduction in plastic pollution. This reduction was achieved through upstream collaboration with communities, emphasizing education and awareness campaigns aimed at promoting responsible waste management practices at the household level.
Sungai Watch’s journey is a testament to the power of grassroots efforts in addressing environmental challenges. While the plastic pollution crisis in Indonesia remains a formidable issue, the commitment and resilience of Sam Benchegjib and his team have made a substantial impact.
Their work not only cleans the country’s vital waterways but also educates and empowers communities to take an active role in preserving their environment. With continued dedication and support, Sungai Watch stands as a beacon of hope in the ongoing battle against plastic pollution in Indonesia.
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