Up the Citarum, Without a Paddle
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 06. 6.07
This shocking image is of the Citarum River in Indonesia. Five million people live in the rivers basin, but it carries the waste and pollution from nine million, and a plethora of factories that are far more concerned with profit than the environment. It’s as neglected online as it is in real life.
Although the river used to support many fishermen, the men pictured aren’t after fish. It’s now more profitable, partly because of the abundance of waste, and partly because of the scarcity of fish, to forage for rubbish, which they can exhume and trade.
These same men that are working on the lake also live from it. The surrounding area isn’t well developed, so the river water is used, untreated, to irrigate paddy fields, and for domestic bathing, cooking and drinking.
Some people are even worried that this massive pollution will have an effect further down the line, in France. The Citarum is one of two rivers that feed lake Saguling where the French have built large hydro-electric plants. If the river chokes, then so does a portion of France’s electricity supply.
Its downfall started in the late 1980s, but is now worse than it has ever been. Indonesia has been going through an industrial boom, and these images give the impression of what many rivers in London must have looked like during the industrial revolution.
In many ways, the problems that affected many countries then are the same as the ones that face countries like Indonesia now. Except now, instead of polluting our own cities, the West buys products from factories in Indonesia, where they pollute their own country for us. :: Daily Mail
Must be a really really long cable the French put in to get their electricity all the way from Indonesia ! ;)
But seriously, Indonesia is second only to Nigeia as most corrupt government and business practices. 'Tis truly a shame.
"If the river chokes, then so does a portion of France’s electricity supply."
France gets hydroelectric power from Indonesia?
With what? The world's longest extension cord?!
Before the writer added that little embellishment on the facts, he should have stopped to consider Indonesia and France are literrally on the opposite sides of the Earth -- some 12,000 km apart.
That river is disgusting, but part of this story doesn't make much sense. Indonesia is an island country, why is France getting power from an island country on the other side of the world, and how? electricity is not particularly efficient when transferred extremely long distances over power lines. Something just doesn't add up.
I live in Indonesia, not far from this river. I studied environmental engineering.
As an regular visitor of treehugger, I have mixed feelings seeing something so close to home getting mentioned (though for something bad).
Indonesia is a very complex interconnected mess, from corruption, a very relaxed attitude on everything, a legal system that can be bent to the advantage of the higher bidder, and sadly also a very high tolerance to pollution.
In no attempt to justify the situation, fixing the situation takes a lot more than technological solution. if someone miraculously can clean up all the garbage there, the river will be refilled in a few years - probably creating a new term of riverfill or waterfill instead of landfill.
Tackling environmental issues in Indonesia requires socio-economic, legal, advocating, and educational efforts. The scientific part takes a back seat to all of this. Probably there's also other kinds of efforts necessary that I didn't realize. Well, I've been there, I learned the hard way.
I assume that you mean French Indonesia and not France b/c if so, that is one long river!
This happens when disposable items are introduced into cities that lack a solid waste collection system and properly laid and managed storm sewers. It is as if the objects of the 20th Century are overlain on a place in the 18th Century.
I'm confused...
France is getting power from a hydro dam in indonesia? How exactly does that work?
might point out, that in france must refer to the the people in france, cause the hydro is in west java not france.
the french built it in Indonesia which is a billion miles from france.