UMS Students Initiate a Social Campaign to Prevent Flooding in Surakarta

In an effort to raise environmental awareness among the younger generation, a team of Communication Sciences program students from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), together with the Gorong-gorong Solo community, carried out a river clean-up action along a tributary of the Kali Pepe River in Kadipiro, Surakarta, on Saturday (07/12). The activity, themed “Resik Ati, Resik Kali!”, was conducted as part of the final project for the Public Relations Campaign course.

This social campaign originated from concerns over the heightened risk of flooding during the rainy season, especially in the Solo Raya region. These conditions encouraged the Calliasri Team to initiate a river clean-up action as both a preventive measure and an effort to increase public awareness of the importance of maintaining river cleanliness and ecosystems.

Calliasri Team Leader, Adrian, explained that the campaign represented a form of synergy between students and the community. “As we enter the rainy season, we see that there is still a lot of waste that has the potential to clog river flows. From there, we took the initiative to create the ‘Resik Ati, Resik Kali!’ campaign so that this clean-up action would not only be temporary, but would also foster shared awareness,” he said.

Public enthusiasm was evident from the participation of 50 volunteers in the activity. Over 2.5 hours of cleaning the tributary, participants and community members successfully removed trash and bamboo logs scattered along the river area. This clean-up is expected to help prevent blockages in water flow, particularly during the rainy season.

Rio, head of the Gorong-gorong Solo community, expressed his hope that the activity could serve as an initial step toward environmental preservation. “Hopefully we can continue to collaborate in the future. Let us protect and take care of our rivers together,” he said.

The Calliasri Team and the Gorong-gorong community after holding the “Resik Ati, Resik Kali!” campaign, 7 December 2025.

Meanwhile, Toyib, a member of the Advisory Board of the Gorong-gorong Solo Community Team, also conveyed his appreciation for the activity organized by the Calliasri Team. “Today’s activity is very special because it was supported by the younger UMS students from the Calliasri Team, allowing the event to run smoothly and efficiently,” he said.

This activity serves as evidence that the Communication program at UMS not only provides students with theoretical understanding, but also encourages active involvement in community service initiatives. Through this river clean-up action, the Calliasri Team hopes to inspire more parties to care about the environment.

In addition, the Head of Kadipiro Village, Arif Budiman, expressed his appreciation. “I would like to thank the UMS students, especially the Calliasri Team, for cleaning the river of waste and bamboo debris that could potentially cause flooding. Hopefully, collaborations like this will continue to be strengthened for a greener and more sustainable environment,” he said.

Writer: Roselia Puspita Asri

Editor: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid