Community participation in cleanliness education to maintain the quality of river ecosystems in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/jocae.v4i1.2026.3864Keywords:
community-based management, environmental education, river cleanliness, river ecosystem, community participationAbstract
Background: The degradation of river ecosystem quality in Indonesia remains a complex environmental issue caused by domestic waste, urbanization, industrial activities, and ineffective community-based waste management. Technical approaches alone have not been fully effective without behavioral changes supported by environmental education and community participation. This study aims to analyze community participation in river cleanliness education, identify supporting and inhibiting factors, and evaluate the role of environmental education in sustaining river ecosystems in Indonesia. Methods: This study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method using the PRISMA 2020 approach. Literature was collected from Google Scholar and ScienceDirect using the keywords “public participation,” “environmental education,” “river ecosystem,” and “Indonesia.” From 305 identified articles, 15 articles published between 2015 and 2025 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis approaches. Findings: The results indicate that community participation remains predominantly focused on operational activities, such as river clean-up programs, waste management, and environmental campaigns, while involvement in planning and decision-making remains limited. Participatory environmental education through Participatory Action Research (PAR), citizen science, and community collaboration contributes to increasing ecological awareness, behavioral change, and collective action. Supporting factors include contextual education, local leadership, institutional support, and experiential learning, while barriers include limited information access, insufficient community capacity, weak institutional support, and top-down governance approaches. Conclusion: River ecosystem sustainability is strongly influenced by the quality of community participation and the effectiveness of environmental education programs. Collaborative and participatory education can encourage sustainable environmental practices and strengthen community-based river management. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study provides an integrative socio-ecological synthesis of the relationship between environmental education, community participation, and river ecosystem sustainability. It also develops an evidence-based conceptual framework for participatory river management policies in Indonesia.
References
Ajzen, I. (2020). The theory of planned behavior : Frequently asked questions. April, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.195
Alfala & Nuraini, 2024. (2024). Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Air Berkelanjutan di Karo. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Ilmu Teknik (PROSEMNASPROIT), 1(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.61132/prosemnasproit.v1i1.34
Andika Pratama, Nike Kamarubiani, Yanti Shantini, N. H. (2021). Community Empowerment in Waste Management : A Meta Synthesis. 548(Traced 2020), 78–83. Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210508.015
Apipalakul, C., Wirojangud, W., & Keow, T. (2015). Development of Community Participation on Water Resource Conflict Management. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 186, 325–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.048
Ardoin, N. M., Bowers, A. W., & Gaillard, E. (2020). Environmental education outcomes for conservation : A systematic review. Biological Conservation, 241(April 2019), 108224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108224
Arnstein, S. R., & Arnstein, S. R. (2007). Journal of the American Institute of Planners A Ladder Of Citizen Participation. November 2012, 37–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944366908977225
Asmara, B., & Randhir, T. O. (2025). A mixed-methods assessment of the influence of palm plantations on water resources of indigenous communities of Indonesian Papua. Global Environmental Change Advances, 5(January), 100018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecadv.2025.100018
Astomo, P., Masyarakat, P., & Daerah, P. (2019). BIDANG LINGKUNGAN HIDUP. XIII(2), 134–144. https://doi.org/10.33019/progresif.v13i2.1453
B, M. R. I. a, & Muhammad Reza Cordova. (2022). Pathways and destinations of floating marine plastic debris from 10 major rivers in Java and Bali, Indonesia: A Lagrangian particle tracking perspective. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114331
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 00(00), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
Brick, C., Nielsen, K. S., Berger, S., Henn, L., Wolske, K. S., Lange, F., Hanss, D., Bauer, J. M., Aldoh, A., Sachisthal, M. S. M., Åge, S., & Cologna, V. (2024). Current research practices on pro-environmental behavior : A survey of environmental psychologists. 97(March). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102375
Buchori, I., Zaki, A., Pangi, P., Sejati, A. W., & Pramitasari, A. (2022). Adaptation strategies and community participation in government-led mitigation projects: A comparison between urban and suburban communities in Pekalongan, Indonesia. 81(103271). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103271
Chen, P. (2024). Unlocking policy effects : Water resources management plans and urban water pollution. Journal of Environmental Management, 365(April), 121642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121642
Daniel, D., Prawira, J., Pamudji, T., Djono, A., Subandriyo, S., & Rezagama, A. (2021). A System Dynamics Model of the Community-Based Rural Drinking Water Supply Program ( PAMSIMAS ) in Indonesia. Water, 13(4), 507. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13040507
Gibson, K. E., Lamm, A. J., Lamm, K. W., & Holt, J. (2023). Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and Motivation to Explore Residential Water-Saving Behaviors. Water, 15(17), 3034. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15173034.
Lubis, R. L., & Hamidipradja, K.. (2025). Harnessing Community Engagement to Reduce River Pollution : A Case Study of Collaborative Initiatives Along the Cikapundung River in Bandung City ,. 47. https://doi.org/10.3138/jccpe-2024-0022.
Hurlbert, M., & Gupta, J. (2024). The split ladder of participation : A literature review and dynamic path forward. Environmental Science and Policy, 157(July 2023), 103773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103773
Hutasuhut, I. K., Sihombing, M., & Maas, L. T. (2022). Youth Participation in Management of Deli Watershed ( DAS Deli ) in Medan. 03(01), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.32734/jeds.v3i1.8275 https://doi.org/10.32734/jeds.v3i1.8275
Jingling, L., Yun, L., Liya, S., Zhiguo, C., & Baoqiang, Z. (2010). Public participation in water resources management of Haihe river basin , China : the analysis and evaluation of status quo. 2, 1750–1758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2010.10.187
Jollymore, A., Haines, M. J., Satter, T., & Johnson, M. S. (2020). Citizen science for water quality monitoring : Data implications of citizen perspectives. 200(2017), 456–467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.05.083
Maharani, D., Nuriyah, E., & Kamil, G. G. (2023). Focus : Jurnal Pekerjaan Sosial PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT DALAM PENGELOLAAN BANTARAN SUNGAI CITARUM SEKTOR 7 KECAMATAN BALEENDAH KABUPATEN BANDUNG. 6(1), 132–142. https://doi.org/10.24198/focus.v6i1.44923
Mardianti & Purba (2023). Effects of citizen participation on urban water management based on socioeconomic factors. 9(4), 915–932. https://doi.org/10.22035/gjesm.2023.04.17
Martín-Martín, A., Orduna-malea, E., & Thelwall, M. (2018). Google Scholar , Web of Science , and Scopus : A systematic comparison of citations in 252 subject categories. Journal of Informetrics, 12(4), 1160–1177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2018.09.002
Monroe, M. C. (2017). CrossRef citations to date 302 Altmetric Articles Identifying effective climate change education strategies: a systematic review of the research. 791–812. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1360842
Newig, J., Jager, N. W., Challies, E., & Kochsk, E. (2023). Does stakeholder participation improve environmental governance ? Evidence from a meta-analysis of 305 case studies. 82(June). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102705
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic Analysis : Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. 16, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Page, M. J., Mckenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-wilson, E., Mcdonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement : an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pamudji, T., Djono, A., & Daniel, D. (2022). Groundwater for Sustainable Development The effect of community contribution on the functionality of rural water supply programs in Indonesia. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 19(June), 100822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2022.100822
Pau Fortuño, Marina Codina, Jose Luís Herrera, Montserrat Álvarez e, Núria Bonada, Jeymmy Milena Walteros-Rodríguez, Nieves López-Rodríguez, José María Fernández-Calero, Carlota Sánchez-Campaña, Raúl Acosta, Narcís Prat, M. S. (2025). Reading rivers from libraries : A participatory initiative to assess and improve urbanised rivers using citizen science. 170(August 2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104099
Peker, E., & İlhan, A. (2023). Catalysing the realisation of rainwater harvesting systems through participatory action research. 102927, 138. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2023.102927
Rahardjanto, A., Hudha, A. M., & Permana, T. I. (2025). Social Sciences & Humanities Open Ecocultural practices in East Java , Indonesia : A hermeneutic phenomenological study on “ Reresik Kali ” as local wisdom for river conservation. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 12(October), 102176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102176
Rakhmawati, N. S., Widuri, H., Anissah, N., Yana, F. A., Ramdhani, S., & Raditdwiko, M. E. (2025). Penguatan Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Menjaga Kelestarian Sungai melalui Edukasi dan Aksi Peduli Lingkungan di Desa Sunyalangu. 6(4), 1973–1980. https://doi.org/10.53696/27214834.1407
Reed, M. S. (2008). Stakeholder participation for environmental management : A literature review. 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2008.07.014
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology : An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104(August), 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Stephen Kemmis, Robin McTaggart, R. N. (1988). The Action Research Planner: Doing Critical Participatory Action Research. Deakin University Press.
Sugiester Farida Firmansyah, Y. W., Widyantoro, W., Fathan, M., Afrina, Y., Hardiyanto, A., Lingkungan, M. K., & Masyarakat, F. K. (2021). DAMPAK PENCEMARAN SUNGAI DI INDONESIA TERHADAP GANGGUAN KESEHATAN : LITERATURE REVIEW Impact of River Pollution In Indonesia on Health Problems : A Literature Review. 13(1), 120–133. https://doi.org/10.34011/juriskesbdg.v13i1.1829
Syamsiyah, N., Sadeli, A. H., Saidah, Z., & Noor, T. I. (2025). Community Participation in the Development of Sustainable , Environmentally Conscious Villages in the Cirasea Sub-Watershed, Indonedia. Sustainability, 17(11), 4871. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114871
Xiao, Yu & Watson, Maria. (2017). Guidance on Conducting a Systematic Literature Review. 39(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X17723971
Yunus, M., Adcharaporn Pagdee, & Baral, H. (2025). Local Livelihoods and Determinants of Peatland Protection in Indonesia. 19(100800). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100800
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Moshka Dewi Azzahra
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
