From Yogyakarta to Bali: Our Journey with Njogo Banyu at the 10th World Water Forum
From May 19th to 23rd, 2024, my team and I (Tim Banyu) had the incredible opportunity to attend the 10th World Water Forum in Bali. After five months of intense work through the UNESCO Water Resilience Challenge 2023–2024, we finally showcased our project, Njogo Banyu, in front of an international audience. It’s been nothing short of a roller coaster, filled with learning, growth, and meaningful encounters.
The Project: Njogo Banyu
Njogo Banyu, which means "Guard the Water" in Javanese, is our initiative designed for children aged 10–12 years old. It’s a curriculum-based program that brings water conservation education to life through interactive outdoor adventures.
We developed this project for the Merapi-Merbabu-Menoreh Biosphere Reserve in Yogyakarta, where we saw firsthand how environmental awareness among children is still limited. Many still believe that water will always be available, without realizing how fragile our resources really are.
By engaging children in nature, storytelling, and fun activities, we hope to shape a new generation that sees water as something to protect, not just consume.
As the team leader, I had the privilege (and challenge!) of managing everything from team coordination and budgeting, to working across cultures with fellow participants from Malaysia and Cambodia. It truly opened my eyes to how diverse, and yet how interconnected, the water issues we face are.
I gained a broader perspective on the engineering world, the NGO sector, and how water relates to finance, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. I also witnessed fascinating innovations in water technology, my favorite moment was visiting the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, where I learned how water can be harvested from air through advanced filtration systems. And yes, I even got to practice some Italian!
This journey would not have been possible without the guidance and support of our mentor, Pak Awal. Thank you, Pak, for being our best sensei, for always challenging us to grow, and for believing in us when things got tough. Also, shoutout to Environmental Engineering lecturers who comes to 10th WWF.
We are also so thankful to The Water Agency and UNESCO Jakarta for trusting and supporting youth like us. We wouldn’t have made it this far without our amazing mentors, who encouraged us through every stage pitching, mentorship, implementation, and finally, presentation in Bali.
Bonus! Meeting inspiring figures like Loïc Fauchon and Pak Mochamad Basuki Hadimuljono was another highlight of the forum. Their dedication to global water issues reminded us why we started this journey in the first place.
Njogo Banyu started as a simple idea. Today, it's part of an international conversation on water resilience. We’re hopeful that this project will continue to grow and be adopted in other regions across Indonesia and maybe beyond. To all young people passionate about water and the environment: your voice matters, and your actions can create real change. Terima kasih, Bali. See you on the next wave 🌊