Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) actively promotes responsible water use and sustainable water management through community education, environmental conservation initiatives, and academic engagement throughout 2025. These activities aim to raise public awareness of water conservation and encourage the adoption of practical measures to protect water resources.
Community Education on Water Conservation in Desa Wiru
UNNES, through its Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), conducted a community service program in Desa Wiru, Bringin District, Semarang Regency, focusing on soil and water conservation. The program was carried out in collaboration with the village government, with Dusun Jrebeng selected as the main implementation area due to its more severe drought conditions.
On August 3, 2025, the FISIP UNNES team conducted a public awareness session in RT 02 RW 03, Dusun Jrebeng. The activity introduced residents to water conservation practices, including the use of rainwater as an alternative water reserve, the construction of biopore infiltration holes, and the planting of water-retaining vegetation.
The program also included demonstrations and practical activities on biopore construction and simple rainwater harvesting systems. Through these activities, residents gained knowledge of how to improve rainwater infiltration, reduce surface runoff, and support groundwater conservation. The initiative combined environmental education with practical solutions to address local water scarcity.
Promoting Rainwater Harvesting in Schools
UNNES also promoted responsible water use through educational activities in schools. On September 4, 2025, the FISIP UNNES Conservation Group introduced the Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) concept through a discussion at the podcast studio of SMPN 24 Semarang.
The discussion introduced rainwater harvesting as an alternative water source through collection and filtration systems. The approach was presented as a practical strategy to reduce dependence on groundwater, lower operational costs, and encourage conservation practices within the school environment.
The initiative also encouraged plans to implement a school-scale rainwater harvesting system, providing an opportunity for students and the wider school community to understand the importance of alternative water sources and sustainable water use.
Raising Public Awareness through Water Sustainability Education
At the academic level, FISIP UNNES organized the Symposium on Water Sustainability 2025 under the theme “Bridging Past, Present, and Future” on October 22, 2025. The symposium brought together academics, practitioners, and students from various universities, featuring 82 scientific articles.
One of the key presentations addressed the importance of water literacy and conservation education in raising public awareness of sustainable water resource management. The symposium also featured eight thematic discussion panels, including Women’s Engagement in Water Usage, Water and Local Wisdom, Water Sustainability, Water Access and Social Justice, and Water and Environmental Education.
The discussions explored the role of local knowledge, community participation, and environmental education in promoting sustainable water management. Through this forum, UNNES provided a platform for knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration on water conservation and responsible water use.
These initiatives demonstrate UNNES’s efforts to promote conscious water usage beyond the university through direct community engagement, school-based education, and broader academic discussions on sustainable water management.
Spring Conservation and Sustainable Water Management around Campus
UNNES students from the Environmental Science Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), conducted a spring conservation project and sustainable water management education initiative in areas surrounding the UNNES Gunungpati Campus in 2025.
The project involved observing the conditions of local springs and surrounding water recharge areas, including Jurang Spring 1, Jurang Spring 2, and Jurang Spring 3. These locations served as observation sites for assessing spring conditions and the environmental characteristics of the surrounding recharge areas.
Through this project, students explored the importance of protecting spring ecosystems and maintaining water recharge areas as part of sustainable water resource management. The activity also provided an opportunity to introduce the importance of spring conservation, water resource protection, and responsible water management.
