On October 7, 2019, IDEP completed the construction of a recharge well at Bunutin 1 Elementary School, Bangli, Bali. That is the first well of a planned 13 ones that are planned to be completed in 13 schools throughout Bali. Furthermore, according to the agreement with the school, the wells were handed over to be “adopted” by the school.
This Adopt Well movement is part of the Bali Water Protection (BWP) program initiated by IDEP to address the alarming decrease in the quantity and quality of Bali’s water. Through this adoption scheme, the school community is expected to contribute to inhibiting seawater intrusion which is currently expanding into the mainland of districts and cities in Bali, including Bangli.
The recharge well is a type of well used to “harvest rainwater” as a way to replenish the aquifer layer (an underground layer that contains water and can drain water). In this way, the sources of groundwater for residents can slowly be refilled. At the same time, it can simultaneously block or limit the increasingly widespread of seawater intrusion, ultimately in coastal areas.
Besides the handover of the well, that day IDEP also invited students to participate in the Adopt River movement. Through various activities and educational media such as planting trees, cleaning up the school environment, screening films, reading educational comics about rivers, and sharing stories, IDEP invites students to understand the importance of preserving the environment, including rivers, for the sake of a more guaranteed quality and quantity of Bali water.
After Bunutin, the Adopt Well and Adopt River movement will continue to 12 other elementary schools around Bali and Nusa Penida island. Considering that the scale of this water issue is getting bigger and worrying, IDEP through the BWP Communication and Fundraising officer Dewie Anggraini invited all concerned parties to contribute and support the program. “We at IDEP are aware that this is a common issue that we are out of capacity to solve it alone. Therefore, we through this program try to build initial initiatives. Hopefully, this program can help all parties to be able to clearly see the problem and the solution at the same time and then willing to solve it collaboratively.”
The BWP program is open-calling for the contribution of all parties who concern about the future of Bali’s water and it’s people. The important information about how to contribute to the program can be accessed through the website www.baliwaterprotection.net. (Ed)
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