Monash University, together with the University of Indonesia and the West Java Provincial Government, launch the Citarik Ecotourism Masterplan

The Citarik Ecotourism Masterplan was launched on 30 August, marking five years of the Citarum River Transformation Project, a collaborative effort between Monash Art, Design and Architecture and the Monash Sustainable Development Institute with University of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia. Community representatives and non-governmental organisations, local industry partners, and the global research community have lent support in conducting the activities.

The masterplan includes a 30-year vision and spatial planning framework in a 2.3 km section of the Citarik River flowing through two riverside villages in the upper catchment on the north side of Bandung Regency, West Java.

Attending the launch, the Governor of West Java, Ridwan Kamil, welcomed the Citarik Ecotourism Masterplan as a milestone of an essential collaboration between government and academia in supporting environmental preservation and impactful research. “We hope that the Citarik Ecotourism Master Plan will become a guideline for all stakeholders in developing water management solutions and infrastructure that effectively sustainably support the community's livelihoods, industry, and the environment. I hope this real collaboration will inspire the community to be more proactive in preserving the Citarum watershed, including in Citarik as one of the upper catchments of Citarum River."

At the launch, Professor Diego Ramirez-Lovering, Project Director and Director of the Informal Cities Lab at Monash Art, Design and Architecture, said that this collaborative action has actively contributed to providing holistic solutions in supporting the implementation of the Citarum Harum program since 2018, a revitalisation program led by Governor Ridwan Kamil to restore the Citarum watershed and its tributaries from household and industrial waste contamination.

"We are grateful for the support from the Government of West Java to explore river transformation strategies that are evidence-based, holistic, and designed to meet the priorities and needs of the local communities. Only by working closely with the government can we achieve our goal of abating waste leakage into the river," Professor Ramirez-Lovering said.

Dr Michaela Prescott, a senior lecturer in the department of architecture, who led the development of urban design of the master plan, explains,

"We recognise that creating real change starts at the community level, using self-sustaining strategies for long-term improvements. This involves collaborating to blend local wisdom and first-hand experiences with expertise from scientists, designers, NGOs, industry, and government.

Equally important is ensuring that decisions are made by those most affected—the local capacity is valued, and the project remains in Indonesian hands. The community secures the project's sustainability and enduring benefits for future generations."

Dicky Tanumihardja, a doctoral candidate in the department of architecture, who also led a participatory design workshop with representatives from the two villages in developing the Citarik Ecotourism Masterplan, said that the project involved local people living in two adjacent villages in the region of Bandung Regency, namely Desa Padamukti and Cibodas Village, about 20 kilometres from the city of Bandung.

"The Citarik Ecotourism Masterplan was developed by capturing the aspirations of the local community, not only offering nature-based tourism activities along the Citarik watershed but also supporting industry and economic empowerment of the surrounding community through ongoing efforts to repair and maintain the river's ecological corridors," said Dicky.

The five main principles of the Citarik Ecotourism Masterplan

There are five main principles of the Citarik Ecotourism Masterplan and the participatory design and implementation initiated by Monash University and Universitas Indonesia:

  1. Promote local economic growth by integrating water, sanitation, and waste services to support local community agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture activities.
  2. Support solid waste services to villages and local agricultural industries to solve future landfill capacity shortages.
  3. Restore pathways and terrestrial landscapes to increase the effectiveness of flood channelling and revitalise habitat and biodiversity.
  4. Improve water, waste, and sanitation governance in upstream villages.
  5. Strengthen climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in the Citarum River basin

Find out more about the Citarum River Research Program.