South Sulawesi, Indonesia · 2024–present

The Balantieng River in South Sulawesi is a lifeline — a source of drinking water and irrigation for thousands of people, flowing through landscapes rich in biodiversity. But the river is under growing pressure. Household plastic waste accumulates along the banks, and heavy rains carry it downstream onto rice and clove fields, into irrigation channels, and out to the coast, where it threatens seaweed farms and marine life. In the Balantieng project, women and youth are stepping forward as leaders of change — learning to measure water quality, mapping pollution, and building a movement for a cleaner river.

What we did

Together with partner organization ECOTON Indonesia, and with support from the UNDP Global Environmental Fund, we strengthened women’s groups, youth, and schools across the Balantieng watershed in three ways:

· Monitor and map.Women and youth learned to measure water quality using citizen science tools and to map polluted sites using GPS. Students conducted microplastic research and presented their findings to the Bulukumba Regional Parliament.
· Advocate and organize. Community groups advocated for environmental priorities to be included in village budgets. Youth and school groups introduced plastic bans in their schools and brought the issue to local decision-makers.
· Build green alternatives. Women launched local Refill stores as sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic, and explored other income sources that reduce waste.

When the rainy season arrives, plastic waste drifts down the river and settles in the fields. It tangles in my rice plants and clogs the irrigation channels. — Ibu Rahma, farmer from Batukaropa Village

What it achieved

·  12 women and youth groups across 6 villages trained in water quality monitoring, advocacy, and green business development
·  4 villages allocated Village Funds to support community-led waste management
·  2 Refill stores launched by women’s groups, offering sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic
·  Polluted sites mapped by youth using GPS across the watershed
·  1,000 trees planted along riverbanks by youth and school groups
·  3 plastic-free school canteens
·  Students presented microplastic research to the Bulukumba Regional Parliament, influencing local decision-makers

→ Read the project report below.

What’s next

The first year has shown what is possible when communities take the lead. In the next phase, we are deepening the work across the watershed: expanding the network of trained groups, strengthening green enterprises, and supporting communities to maintain the changes they have made. Youth continue to play a central role — as monitors, advocates, and ambassadors for a plastic-free Balantieng.

→ Read the full Balantieng report