"Water Warriors is a networking hub," he said on Saturday. "I don’t want it to be just a symbolic act of river cleaning. The rivers must be truly cleaned."
However, he cautioned that implementing the river cleaning program would be difficult without a budget.
Hadimuljono also emphasized the need for community awareness regarding river conservation.
"A budget alone without a community that cares about the rivers is also not feasible," he remarked.
At the "Water Warriors Assemble: Indonesian Wave After The 10th World Water Forum (WWF)" event, he stated that his ministry would allocate funds to support Water Warriors' activities.
The activities encompass efforts to preserve and manage water sustainably.
"I will instruct the Director General of Water Resources to allocate a special budget for Water Warriors' activities, which will be carried out by river and water communities," he said.
The Water Warriors community envisions increasing youth involvement in the protection and conservation of national water resources.
Its mission is to empower young people to become leaders in sustainable water management through collaboration, education, advocacy, and research, with the goal of creating a water-resilient and water-secure future.
Hadimuljono emphasized the need for Water Warriors to become a movement focused on maintaining rivers and other water resources while addressing challenges such as excessive, polluted, or insufficient water, among other issues.
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Translator: Martha S, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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