School Community Empowerment Program for Conservation of Riparian Vegetation around the Bedog River in Godean Sleman

Abstract

Recently, Bedog rivers are almost no longer able to carry out their functions due to the increasing interaction between humans and rivers. As a strategic program to keep the Bedog River sustainable, the riparian vegetation conservation program was implemented on the school community in the Godean Region, Sleman, Yogyakarta started at SMPIT Alam Nurul Islam. This program aims to provide mutual awareness as well as a good and complete understanding of the dynamic balance between human life and the river environment as well as strategic steps for riparian vegetation conservation efforts that need to be carried out. To achieve the program aims, three approaches were implemented, i.e. (1) developing SMPIT Alam Nurul Islam Yogyakarta as a pioneer of the school community concern in the conservation of riparian vegetation, (2) disseminating awareness to river conservation through efforts to preserve riparian vegetation to the school community, and (3) the involvement of all parties in the preservation of riparian vegetation as a key system of river conservation. A series of activities were successfully carried out including: learning and research exercises on riparian vegetation profiles, implementation of "riparian class" equipped with learning modules, holding several focus group discussions with teachers and communities around the Bedog river, introduction to river bio-monitoring for students, and "river care" activities by cleaning out trash and outbound. As a program outcome, ESD-based learning on riparian vegetation conservation is included in the biology subject at SALYO particularly in practical work. Also, there are efforts to use the communal land next to the school as an educational forest along with riparian vegetation conservation land.