River as Beings

Abstract

Water has historically been the centre of human civilisation, with rivers serving as crucial sources of sustenance for daily life. Nevertheless, the recent multicultural impact on urban development has fundamentally transformed the perception of the river and led to its contamination due to the discharge of industrial and household trash. In Indonesia, urbanisation has caused the river to become a damaged geographical area, resulting in pollution and its misuse as a dumping ground. Contaminated rivers progressively pollute reservoir basins and risk the subsurface water aquifer, which serves as a source of residential water from wells. Furthermore, while the river possesses inherent purifying capabilities, it is unable to break down plastic effectively and instead releases microplastics into the sea, where humans and aquatic life subsequently ingest them.

The recognition of climate change and ecological crises in this Anthropocene period necessitates a profound and fundamental transformation in both tangible and intangible aspects. Hence, it is imperative to prioritise spatial modification and physical intervention with the utilisation of macro and micro territorial approaches, a comprehensive investigation of Java, particularly Yogyakarta’s river dynamics, can be conducted to gain a precise understanding of its inherent qualities. This research observed the ability to facilitate the recognition of its rights and enhance the intricate relationship between the river and human beings, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of its characteristics and potential implications. Ascertain the spatial changes and physical impact caused by architecture, landscape, and urbanism that can contribute to the restoration of the river’s rights through borderscaping the territory.