Cascades of rubbish: Bali’s waste crisis is out of control, but these young activists are making a difference

The footage released by Gary Bencheghib, eco-activist and founder of Sungai Watch, shows something that seems to belong to dystopian science fiction: a Bali waterfall completely covered in plastic that extends about 200 meters downstream. Not algae, not debris dragged by a sudden flood, but waste in such quantities as to transform a natural place into a visual paradox.

The scene is disturbing, but it is even more disturbing to know that this is not an isolated event, nor even a natural phenomenon: it is our fault. The waste, in fact, comes from local residents themselves, who throw the rubbish into steep areas and waterways, from which it then slides downstream. The result? Streams that, after every rain, become garbage chutes.

In Bali, unfortunately, the waste situation is out of control and these images prove it. Sungai Watch’s reaction, however, was not long in coming: Bencheghib and his team, together with volunteers, began cleaning the area immediately, working manually to remove as much waste as possible until 2,289 kg of plastic were collected. But cleaning is only a first step in a much bigger problem.

Sungai Watch’s commitment

Since 2020, Sungai Watch has been fighting a titanic battle against river pollution. The organization has installed 368 barriers along the island’s rivers, simple but effective systems that intercept plastic before it reaches the sea. Each barrier is monitored and the collected material is classified, sorted, recycled or disposed of. Their goal is ambitious: to reach 1,000 operational barriers, transforming Bali into a global laboratory of environmental protection. The work done so far speaks for itself: 3,938,492 kg of plastic collected, 260 villages cleaned up and 1,895 community operations organised. Numbers that show how serious the problem is, but also how concrete the commitment is.

Sungai Watch’s strength is a multidimensional approach. The organization maps the sources of pollution, installs multiple barriers for each waterway, intervenes in illegal landfills and organizes awareness campaigns in local communities. Collaboration with governments aims to create clear and structured waste management, going beyond the emergency. Since 2022, thanks to weekly volunteer programs, 45,386 hours of work have been accumulated and over 1,600,900 kg of non-organic waste removed. A commitment that not only cleans up, but restores power to communities, combating illegal dumping and building lasting change.

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