Sungai Watch

Barriers, daily cleanups, and sorting on Indonesia’s rivers.

Impact Statement

The work is collection, sorting, and processing, not a one-day cleanup. Barrier and kilogram counts disagree across their site and press, so those figures should be treated as reported, not audited.

The Five W's of Sungai Watch

Who

Sungai Watch, founded in 2020 in Bali by siblings Gary, Kelly, and Sam Bencheghib. A registered Yayasan in Indonesia and a 501(c)(3) in the United States. Their own site describes a team of 180-plus River Warriors; the same page also says 175.

What

Custom trash barriers in rivers, then daily collection, sorting into material categories, and upcycling through Sungai Design. Sungai means river in Indonesian.

When

Active since 2020. A July 2026 report on their Run for Rivers said 368 barriers and more than 4.5 million kilograms kept out of the ocean. Earlier press put the total near 3 million kilograms. Their about page does not publish one official running total.

Where

Bali and Java, Indonesia. Java is home to 90 of the world’s 1,000 most polluted rivers, according to Sungai Watch.

Why

Indonesia’s rivers carry a large share of plastic toward the sea. Barriers plus paid local crews stop it before it leaves the island.

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