Stories

From the hills and mountains of Bogor Regency, the Ciliwung River flows downstream, stretching 118.25 kilometers to the Java Sea. It crosses the region of Bogor Regency, the cities of Bogor, Depok, and Jakarta, and drains into the Java Sea through Jakarta Bay in Indonesia. With a total area of 421.47 square kilometers, the Ciliwung River Basin plays a key role in supporting livelihood, agricultural activities, trade, transportation and local tourism in the three major cities of Bogor, Depok, and Jakarta. The Ciliwung Dam in the upstream Bogor, which was built in 1911, provides irrigation to 333 hectares of rice lands. Known also for its fertile lands for world-class tea plantations, Bogor Regency has greatly benefited from the nutrients and water services of the river basin. 

The mid-day sun was shining over a small banca passing through the Pasac-Guagua Watershed. In the surroundings, one could hear the engine slowly fading as it stopped in the riverbanks. An old man secured his banca and his catch of the day in a small fishing box before disembarking at a station.

Located in the central region of northern Philippines, the Pasac -Guagua Watershed is a critical source of water and livelihood that supports, at least, 10  municipalities (Bacolor, Floridablanca, Guagua, Lubao, Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, Porac, Santa Rita and Sasmuan) with approximately  888,560 population (Philippine Statistics Authority 2020 Census), over 566,576 live along 152 villages within the watershed. It is one of the major river systems that drain to Manila Bay, considered the main harbor of the country that is connected to a larger marine ecosystem, that is, the South China Sea. 

In Lao, children, already from a young age, play in the riverbanks until they hone their skills in spearfishing and trapping crabs and shrimps. They grow and learn their ways of life through the rivers and mountains.

Wading through the communes of Kampot Province, the glossy waters of Kampong Bay River Basin strides on to riverbanks and riprap walls, providing a steady source of food and livelihood, as well as means of transport to over 184,000 people in the southern region of Cambodia.