Merti Kali: River Conservation Based on Local Wisdom

Merti Kali is an activity to clean and maintain rivers in the Yogyakarta Special Region that aims to preserve the watershed. This research aims to examine how much Merti Kali's activities affect the river pollution index and public health. A descriptive qualitative design was utilized, and the data were obtained from interviews with the Yogyakarta Province Environment and Forestry Service and other secondary sources. The results of the analysis demonstrated that while the activities of Merti Kali did not affect the river pollution index, they, however, transformed the health level of the river community. As the locations of Merti Kali activities increased in 2016, there has been a decrease in the number of dengue cases. There is still a need for the role of the Regional Government to raise awareness among business actors who dispose of their waste into rivers.