Citarum is one of the longest rivers in Java, measuring over 11,000 sq km and about 270 km long. There are more than 9 million people living in the Citarum River basin. There are 11 protected areas in the basin.

More than 85% of the river water goes to irrigation. The rest is used for domestic and industrial purposes.

Due to the high population density and operation of industries along the river basin, Citarum has been severely polluted. To date, there are over 200 industries operating along Citarum that have been dumping 270 tons of industrial waste per day into the river. Sedimentation has also become a problem that has been causing flooding in the downstream area. The river retains capacity has also been decreasing from time to time.

Labeled as the dirtiest river by the ADB, the Bank approved a $500-million loan to the government of Indonesia to rehabilitate the dying Citarum River. Under the multi-tranche financing facility (MFF), the 15-year program will be implemented in four tranches.

However, civil society organizations have challenged the ADB-funded ICWRMP due to a lack of disclosure of information to local communities that will be directly affected by the project. Likewise, the local implementing agency has evicted people living along the West Tarum Canal even before the finalization of the resettlement plans for the project.

In December 2009, a complaint was filed in the office of the special project facilitator of the ADB for the eviction of a number of households. Though the complaint was deemed ineligible, local groups have continued to monitor the project.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

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• Affected people clueless about ADB project. Ulma Haryonto, Jakarta Globe, July 2010. A coalition of watchdogs and civil society organizations have accused ADB of violating its own Public Communication Policy.  

• Complaint on the Citarum Project registered under the OSPF. December 2009.  Local households filed a complaint due to forced displacements and non-provision of compensation.

• The water project displaces hundreds of Indonesians. December 2009.  Hundreds of Indonesians living along the Kalimalang Canal were displaced. Local shops serving as the primary source of income for local families were demolished.

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• Hundreds of People living in Kalimalang is expropriated because of Asian Development Bank’s Program in Citarum (ICWRMIP) [Press release] Arum, November 2009

• People Alliance on Citarum- ALIANSI RAKYAT until CITARUM (ARUM) criticized the ADB and the Indonesian government for the forced displacement of households along the Kalimalang Canal.
   

• Citarum dan Pinjaman ADB (Citarum and ADB loan) By Ratna Yunita, Kruha, July 2008

This briefer provides a backgrounder on the situation of the Citarum River and issues surrounding the ADB-funded Integrated Citarum Water Resource Management.

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Read THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK: IN ITS OWN WORDS An Analysis of Project Audit Reports for Indonesia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.