Sustainable River Mission: UAE Delegation Visits Surabaya, Explores Mozaik-Ecoton Village Along the Tebu River

A delegation from Clean Rivers, an international non-profit organization working on river restoration, visited several locations where the Partnership for Preventing Riverine Plastic Pollution (#SungaiLestari) program is being implemented along the Tebu River in Surabaya. The group witnessed firsthand how residents are reducing household waste to prevent it from ending up in the river. 

(Picture 1 : Reiner, the Clean Rivers Coordinator for the United Arab Emirates, listens to Tonis's explanation about the Mozaik Kali Tebu village, Surabaya 3/8/2026)

Representatives from the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Clean Rivers, and the Emirates Foundation attended the visit. They engaged with residents, inspected the waste sorting system, and observed management activities at the Zero Waste Village.

Ecoton Director Daru Setyorini explained that the river waste problem will not be resolved if it is only addressed downstream. She believes that change must begin at home by reducing waste generation, sorting it at source, and processing it within the home.

"We are seeking collaborative solutions with the communities that have long lived alongside the river. The Zero Waste system strengthens community institutions so that waste management starts at the source and can largely be resolved at the household level," Daru said during his statement on the sidelines of the visit on Sunday (August 2, 2026).

Daru also stated that change doesn't begin with building new facilities, but rather with strengthening community organizations. Therefore, he said Ecoton developed the Zero Waste Network, a model that positions communities as the primary managers of their neighborhood's waste management system.

"The first thing we built was community institutions. After that, residents implemented a waste management system from the source, prioritizing waste reduction. Efforts were made to manage the waste generated at the household level," Daru explained.

(picture 2 : Executive director of Ecoton Foundation Dr. Daru Setyorini launched "Kampung Mozaik," a village model that implements waste sorting to prevent waste from being dumped into rivers and to stop plastic pollution from reaching the ocean)

#Learn from Zero Waste Village

During their visit, the delegation spent considerable time discussing with village administrators. They asked how residents build collective awareness, assign roles, and maintain activities even without daily supervision.

For Ecoton, the success of waste management isn't determined by the number of waste collection vehicles. Results depend more on residents' habits of reducing waste at home.

This system allows organic waste to be processed locally, while waste that still has economic value is sorted before being sent to waste banks or collectors. This reduces the volume of waste entering rivers.

#Diapers Still Dominate River Waste

Ecoton founder Prigi Arisandi, who participated in the visit, took the delegation to observe the condition of the Tebu River. He explained that monitoring results showed that 60–80 percent of the waste collected from the river was disposable baby diapers.

"Because they shouldn't wear plastic clothing. Plastic clothing will harm their hormonal health and their future health," Prigi said.

According to Prigi, the findings illustrate a problem still faced by many residential areas. Disposable diapers are often discarded with other waste, eventually being washed into rivers.

"Disposable diapers are still often thrown away with domestic waste. As a result, this waste ends up in rivers and pollutes the water," said Prigi.

He also revealed the results of Ecoton's research on microplastic pollution. The study found disturbances in fish in the Surabaya River, including an imbalance in the sex ratio and the discovery of intersex fish at several observation locations.

"Let's reduce the use of single-use plastic. I want to remind you that rivers are a source of life. They are homes for biodiversity, not dumps for waste. Stop polluting Indonesia's land and rivers with waste and microplastics because we don't want to pass this pollution on to the next generation," said Prigi.

#Sharing River Management Experiences

Clean Rivers Associate Director of Programs and Impact Reinier van der Lely and other members of the delegation were seen discussing several issues with village administrators. They asked about ways to involve residents, maintain participation, and sustain activities long-term.

The visit was also attended by Ahlam Abdulmuhsen Abdulla Ahmed Almannaei from the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Aza Wee Sile, Maryam Al Memari, Wadha Al Mazrouei, and Hassan Ali Abdulla from the Emirates Foundation.

For Clean Rivers, the experience of Surabaya residents demonstrates that river management can grow from within residential areas. The practice of sorting waste, reducing the use of single-use plastics, and processing organic waste contribute to the quality of the Tebu River.