Public Engagement in Willamette River Management –Lessons from Portland for Indonesian Rivers

Sudiyah IstichomahFellow from Indonesia

1. FORCI2. Back Ground: Indonesian River

and Public Engagement3. Willamette River and Public

Engagement4. From Portland to Indonesia

Over View

FORCI DevelopmentCenter for Forestry Organization Capacity and Institution Development

• An organization under Forestry Faculty of Bogor Agricultural University or IPB

• It carries the function as an outreach of innovations in science and technology which have been growing immensely in many universities.

• It was founded by a community which gives their special attention to forestry development, which motored by some of Faculty of Forestry of IPB’s lecturers.

• It is expected to bridge between academic domain and practical domain of forest resources management.

Programs:

• Researches about environmental issues especially Forest.

• Dissemination and Publication

• Weekly and Monthly discussion

Weekly discussion of

FORCI

My Position : Researcher (Social researcher)

Current Research: water management and publicinvolvement in several river basins in Indonesia.

Indonesian River

More than 75% of urban rivers in Indonesia are contaminated (Ministry of

environment 2014)

Citarum River in West Java is the most polluted river in the world. More than 2,000 industries contaminate 5,020 sq miles of the river with lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxins. (Leahy, 2013)

River is a part of our history. People live with the river. Two sides of river: Some people still see the river as a garbage place

but also use the water for daily life.

Challenges in Indonesia around river management such as floods, pollution, land conversion, and low community participation.

Ciliwung River – Jakarta (Java)

Kampar River – Riau (Sumatra)

Public Involvement

Why public needs to be involved in River management?

• Everyone needs water as basic human need.

• Rivers reflect the level of care that is put into managing water resources and they need to be cared for.

• People have power

What happens in developed country?

World Forest Institute, Fellowship 2014

1. What is the current state of management of the Willamette River in Portland?

2. Who are the actors that play a role in the management of the river and what are the roles?

3. Is there a forum that brings together those parties? 4. How does it compare with the situation in Indonesia?

Willamette River

WILLAMETTE RIVER - OREGON

‘The Willamette River Basin is the largest watershed in the state, covering more than 11,500 square miles. Portland occupies only a small fraction of the river's drainage basin, about one-half of one percent, but it is the most urbanized area. Native salmon, steelhead and other fish and wildlife species live within Portland’s urban boundary, and also migrate through Portland to other parts of the Willamette River Basin, Columbia River Basin, and beyond.’

• The Willamette River faces a lot of problems, including pollution and water quality -> Portland Harbor Super fund site.

• River restoration for Salmon habitat improvement

• Public involvement in various river related programs

Portland - Willlamette River Overview

Actors and Their Roles

1. Government : Main actors (City of Portland (BES), Bonneville Power Dam, etc)

2. Environmental organizations (Willamette Riverkeepers, Freshwater Trust, etc)

3. Companies and private land owners

4. Watershed councils and general public

Watershed Councils

Advisory councils and watershed councils provide a forum for people to meet and discuss their concerns about the river.

• Watershed councils are locally organized, voluntary, non-regulatory groups established to improve the conditions of watersheds in their local area.

• They bring together local stakeholders from private, local, state, and federal interests in a partnership, to help plan restoration.

• In Oregon, there are at least 74 watershed councils that build a big network.

http://oregonwatersheds.org

Portland - Indonesia

• Portland: Government agencies are actively involved in community programs, the public are also actively involved, and there are nonprofit organizations that oversee government management.

• Things like dam removal, installation of LWD for fish habitat, and re-meandering rivers are all management tools that would benefit Indonesia.

• The use of an iconic species such as salmon as the impetus to restore the river is an excellent idea. Indonesia can look for an iconic species of their own.

• Using the river as part of urban ecotourism. The Willamette River is a great Portland attraction for things like jogging, sailing, swimming, etc.. Urban rivers in Indonesia have not been widely used for leisure purposes.

Iconic species

Senggawangan (Chitra chitra javanensis)

A Mascot for Ciliwung River Restorion. And the day when it was found, November 11, 2011 became The Ciliwung Day, a celebration for the river restoration.

Two Sides of River Management

“In the next five years, Indonesian government will build 25 to 30 dams to improve agricultural irrigation and flood control.”

While in the US, Dam removal is part of stream restoration…

Thank You