Take Care The River Take Care Life, BRI Returns the River to Support Life

JAKARTA,Indonesia,Oct. 2,2020 -- To accelerate the revitalization of rivers in a number of areas,BRI (BBRI) is present through BRI's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities "Clean the River" with the theme of "Take Care The River Take Care Life" held in 19 rivers at 19 BRI Regional Offices throughout Indonesia. President Director of BRI Sunarso said that this program is to restore the original function of the river as a source of community life.

President Director Bank BRI Sunarso

President Director Bank BRI Sunarso

Indonesia is one of the countries with the largest freshwater reserves in the world,with reserves of around 2,019 cubic kilometres of water spread over a number of areas. This freshwater reserve comes from rivers,lakes and the high rainfall in tropical rain forests of Indonesia. There are more than 550 rivers with pollution level of more than 82% flowing through several areas in Indonesia and these the water is not suitable for community consumption activities.

The vital role of rivers to support the natural life cycle around them,including humans,needs to be revitalized. The process of revitalizing the river or restoring the functions and benefits of the river is urgent to be implemented because it has a very significant impact in providing benefits to humans and the natural environment.

"We want the rivers in this country to return to their original function,namely as the spirit of life for the people around the river. The river can support the health,economy,social and culture of the existing community. We see a lot of civilization being built from rivers in an area that support the community to grow and make a real contribution to their lives. For this reason,BRI is here to restore the function of the river as it should be," said Sunarso.

This program,which has been started since 2019,is prioritized in several cities in Indonesia. BRI refers to the Triple Bottom Line concept which is based on sustainability,namely Pro People,Pro Planet and Pro Profit. Through this activity,BRI intends to change rivers in cities in Indonesia to be more beneficial for the community and encourage the survival of urban communities.

The urgency of cleaning up dirty rivers has started to be carried out by BRI since last November 2019. This program targets 19 rivers in Jakarta,Bandung,Palembang,Bandar Lampung,Semarang,Banjarmasin,Denpasar,Manado,Padang,Pekanbaru,Banda Aceh,Medan,Yogyakarta,Malang,Surabaya,Makassar and Jayapura.

"Clean the River" is carried out by BRI in collaboration with the local government and also the local BRI regional office. Carrying the spirit of Pro Planet and Pro People,the company not only normalizes,cleans,dredges rivers,but also builds a number of facilities and infrastructure such as parks,green open spaces,and child-friendly areas,as well as educating the public about maintaining healthy river flow that is beneficial for life. This program is part of the company's plan to protect the ecosystem of life around the river.

This program will have a good economic impact on the people living around the river. Waste collected from the river is selected and sorted,separated by organic and inorganic/plastic waste. Organic waste that has been sorted can be used for community needs such as compost,additional animal feed,urban farming,and can even be processed into biogas.

Meanwhile,the inorganic waste will be chopped using the trash chopper that BRI provides to the community. After the waste is chopped,it is sold to garbage collectors and the community gets money.

"Gradually,after Pro Planet and Pro People are implemented,the benefits of river cleaning and proper waste management will provide economic benefits for the surrounding community,so that Pro Profit can be implemented. The money generated from the sale of waste in the future will be saved through BRI accounts and can be withdrawn through the BRILink Agent,BRI Work Unit,or other BRI e-channel networks," added Sunarso.

Through CSR activities,BRI will continue to encourage changes in people's perspective on the function and role of rivers in their lives and their future. A clean and orderly river flow does not only reduce the potential for flooding when it rains. More than that,rivers can have an economic impact and move the community's economy.

So far,the role of rivers has often been misunderstood only as a channel for water from upstream to downstream. Many people throw garbage into the river. Whereas the essence of a river is a hydrological cycle that needs to be preserved.

"It is important to convey to the public that rivers are not a place to dispose of rubbish. For BRI,rivers are not seen only as waterways to the sea. On top of that we want to educate the public through this "Take Care The River Take Care Life" activity. The need to select and sort it out,which waste is organic and which is inorganic,utilizes organic waste for fertilizers,agriculture and animal feed,and converts inorganic waste to provide added value and economic value to the community through a recycling process." There are many benefits for the people living around them. This is in line with our commitment that the presence of BRI can provide value and deliver value to society," Sunarso concluded.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20201001/2936876-1-a?lang=0

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20201001/2936876-1-b?lang=0