Challenges and opportunities in building environmental awareness in the Keduang Watershed Region in Indonesia

Watersheds are ecosystems which are crucial for water quality, biodiversity, and overall environmental sustainability. Increasing pressure from human activities such as deforestation, water pollution, and changes in land use has begun to threaten the sustainability of watersheds throughout the world. This research discusses the challenges and opportunities in building environmental awareness in a watershed region. A qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach is used to understand the experiences, attitudes, and actions of the watershed community in relation to environmental issues. The research results show the challenges faced include a lack of understanding about the watershed ecosystem, insufficient access to information technology, economic problems, and poor local leadership to support environmental preservation. An integrated environmental education program, together with community participation and development of technological innovation may offer an effective solution. Strong environmental awareness in watershed regions not only supports environmental preservation but also creates sustainable economic opportunities, strengthens environmental resilience, and improves the life quality of the community. Therefore, building environmental awareness in watershed regions is not only the job of local communities but also the shared responsibility of various stakeholders, which is needed to achieve sustainability of the river ecosystem and the broader environment.


Introduction
Watersheds are complex ecosystems which include a closely connected network of rivers, forests, and wetlands [1][2][3].Watersheds play an important role in providing clean water, controlling floods, and supporting the life of various living creatures [4][5][6][7][8].However, many watersheds are now facing enormous pressure as a result of unsustainable human activities.The process of building community awareness in watershed regions is the key to preserving environmental sustainability [9][10][11].This awareness includes understanding the importance of the watershed, the negative effects of human activities, and the steps that can be taken to protect and restore the environment of the river ecosystem.
The environment is experiencing rapid changes, as shown by the recurring onset of natural disasters which have a negative impact on human life [12][13][14].Destruction of the living environment is a process in which there is a decline in the quality or potential of a particular environment, marked by a decrease in the ability of the land, water, and air to meet the needs of living creatures, leading to the extinction of flora and fauna [15][16][17].Activities such as deforestation, changes in land use, water pollution, and exploitation of natural resources have caused significant damage to the watershed ecosystem [18,19].These negative effects include a decline in water quality, loss of natural habitats, increased risk of flooding, and a decrease in biodiversity.Therefore, preserving the sustainability of watersheds has become a global priority in environmental conservation efforts.
One of the key aspects in preserving watershed sustainability is building environmental awareness in communities that live in watershed regions [20,21].Community awareness plays an important role in preserving the living environment because it provides people with knowledge about what should be done and what should be avoided in order to minimize the negative effects that are caused by their actions [22,23].This awareness includes an understanding of the importance of watersheds, the effect of human activities on the watershed ecosystem, and the steps that can be taken to protect and restore damaged watersheds.
Building environmental awareness in watershed regions is not an easy task.It is accompanied by a number of challenges that must be overcome, such as a poor understanding of the watershed ecosystem, limited access to information about the environment, and a lack of motivation to participate in conservation efforts.On the other hand, it also provides a number of opportunities that can be taken advantage of, such as environmental education, sophisticated communication technology, and community participation, along with an awareness of the long-term economic benefits of watershed conservation which can help to strengthen watershed conservation efforts.With the cooperation and commitment of various parties, together we can preserve the sustainability of the river ecosystem.
The goal of this research is to map the challenges and opportunities in building environmental awareness in a watershed region.This study will provide a deep insight about how to overcome the various challenges and how to seize the opportunities that may arise during the process.By gaining a better understanding of these challenges and opportunities, all the related stakeholders (government, NGOs, and local communities) can design more effective strategies for preserving the sustainability of the watershed.

Materials and methods
This research uses a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach.The qualitative method focuses on the collection and analysis of qualitative data which prioritizes a deep understanding of the views, experiences, and meanings provided by the respondents in relation to environmental issues [24][25][26].This method enables the researcher to explore the individual subjectivity and social contexts underlying the respondents' actions and attitudes.The phenomenological approach is used to gain an understanding of the human experiences that reflect the experiences of individuals or groups in relation to their environmental awareness [27,28].
The research location was the Keduang Watershed in Wonogiri Regency, which was chosen due to the following considerations: (1) The Keduang Watershed is a watershed region with high ecological and environmental significance.This watershed covers an area of forest, river, and farmland which is important for the life of the surrounding district.For this reason, the preservation and management of the Keduang Watershed is crucial for environmental sustainability; (2) The Keduang Watershed region is experiencing environmental pressure that can be seen firsthand, including deforestation, changes in land use, and water pollution, thus making this watershed a relevant case study for exploring the challenges and opportunities in building environmental awareness; (3) Involvement of the community in and around the watershed in efforts to preserve and restore the watershed ecosystem have a significant influence on the outcome.Therefore, understanding their awareness and motivation is the key to achieving the goals of conservation.
The data collection techniques used were in-depth interviews, observation, a document analysis, and focus group discussions.In-depth interviews were held with key stakeholders including village officials, environmental NGOs, women farmers' groups, farmers' groups, and farmers.The interviews were used to gain insight into the challenges and opportunities that emerged in the process of building environmental awareness.The observations were carried out in the Keduang Watershed region to gain an understanding about the situation in the field.This included the observation of community activities, the condition of the ecosystem, and the impact of development.The field observation was used to support the qualitative data.The document analysis involved a study of documents related to the environment, policies, and conservation programs in the watershed region.This provided an understanding of the framework of existing policies and previous endeavors.The focus group discussions involved members of the local community who held important positions in the watershed management.These group discussions provided an opportunity to share views, experiences, and ideas with the aim of finding better ways to build environmental awareness.
The qualitative analysis techniques used included the identification of patterns and themes that arose from the qualitative data and a narrative analysis that followed the steps described by [29][30][31].The first step was to identify the patterns of the qualitative data.The second step was to make a transcription of all the audio recordings and notes to obtain a text that could be analyzed.The third step was to formulate codes for each fragment of text that contained a particular meaning or topic.This included words or phrases that described attitudes, beliefs, or environmental issues.The fourth step was to group together similar or related codes to form larger categories.The fifth step was to identify the themes that arose from the data, which were the community's views of environmental issues.The sixth step was to interpret the themes in order to understand their significance in the research context in relation to the challenges and opportunities in building environmental awareness.

Results and discussion
Watersheds are ecosystems which are extremely important in ecological and environmental sustainability.Watersheds include areas of forest, rivers, and wetlands that are all closely connected and serve to provide clean water, a habitat for various forms of life, and a natural flood control.Although the importance of watersheds for human life and the environment has already been proven, many watershed regions throughout the world are facing serious pressure as the result of unsustainable human activities.Building environmental awareness in watershed regions is an important step in preserving the sustainability of the river ecosystem.There are, however, several problems that need to be dealt with in order for this effort to be successful.
Table 1 shows that research and environmental conservation efforts in watershed regions are becoming increasingly important due to the impact of climate change and unsustainable human activities.Understanding the challenges and opportunities in building environmental awareness in watershed regions is a key step in preserving the sustainability of the river ecosystem.The results of this research also correspond to the research of [32,33], which explain that watersheds are strategic places for preserving the sustainability of fresh water and biodiversity.Conservation efforts in watershed regions may include forest management, ecosystem restoration, and prevention of water pollution.Environmental education in schools has been proven to be an effective means of building environmental awareness in the young generation.Research by [34] shows that a well-structured environmental education program can increase students' understanding of environmental issues, including those related to watershed regions.This reinforces the importance of integrating environmental education into the formal education curriculum, as seen in Table 1.
In the digital era, communication technology, especially social media, has become a strong tool for spreading messages about the environment.Research by [35,36] highlights the important role social media plays in mobilizing environmental action.The use of social media can accelerate the dissemination of information about watersheds and related conservation efforts.Cooperation between various stakeholders, including the government, NGOs, academics, and local communities, is an important element in watershed conservation efforts.Research by [37][38][39][40] shows that strong partnerships can produce better results in preserving watershed sustainability.Such partnerships may include joint planning, provide more resources, and result in a broader dissemination of knowledge.
Further to this, a deeper understanding about the challenges and opportunities in building environmental awareness in watershed regions will provide a foundation for designing a more effective conservation action plan, as seen in Table 2 below.

Opportunities Interventions and Activities to Gain Opportunities Integrated Environmental Education
Integrating environmental education into the school curriculum to increase understanding and awareness.Environmental awareness campaigns in schools and communities to increase understanding of environmental issues and action that can be taken.Rewarding students, teachers, schools, and communities that contribute to environmental preservation.

Partnerships and Collaborations
Cooperation between the government, NGOs, academics, and local communities can build awareness and convey a strong environmental message.Facilitating partnerships between business groups or home industries and stakeholders.Communication Technology Technology, such as social media and online platforms, enables information about the environment to be spread more efficiently and to reach a wider audience.

Awareness of Economic Benefits
Educating communities about the long-term economic benefits of watershed conservation, such as the provision of clean water and sustainable tourism.Establishing business networks with relevant individuals and organizations in industries.Facilitating specific skills or knowledge, and providing training or education services that can produce additional income.Data source: Analysis of primary data through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions, 2023 From Table 2 it can be seen that the results of the research are in line with studies by [41][42][43][44], which emphasize the importance of community participation in the restoration of degraded watersheds.Local communities can play a part in replanting forests, monitoring water quality, and implementing sustainable land management practices.This enables them to contribute directly to the restoration of the watershed while building a better understanding of this ecosystem.The research of [45][46][47], finds that awareness of the long-term economic benefits of watershed conservation can provide strong motivation for action to preserve better water quality in watershed regions, ensuring the availability of clean water for consumption, farming, and industry, all of which have a positive economic impact.Research by [48] also proves the importance of awareness as the first step in altering behavior to produce better environmental action.The results of this study stress that an understanding of the impacts and benefits of watershed conservation can motivate communities to engage in real action.
The indicators of success in efforts to build environmental awareness in watershed regions can be used to measure the impacts and effectiveness of the programs or initiatives implemented.The table below shows a number of indicators of success in building environmental awareness in the Keduang Watershed region.Table 3. Indicators and facts that occur in the community in building environmental awareness.

Indicators
Facts that Occur in the Community Level of Environmental Awareness in the Community Increase in understanding and awareness of the community about the role of the watershed and the importance of preserving the river ecosystem.The community uses local resources such as leaf litter, animal manure, and processed waste, and preserves the balance of the ecosystem.The community understands the specific environmental problems of its own watershed region, such as the pollution of river water or degradation of habitat.

Community Participation
The community volunteers to work together to plant trees and clean rivers or waterways.The community attends regular meetings to discuss environmental issues and participate in discussions and decision making related to environmental preservation.The community is involved in degraded land rehabilitation efforts such as forest restoration, erosion control, or soil quality improvement.

Changes in Environmental Practices
More efficient use of water, better garbage management, or sustainable farming practices.The community supports sustainable ecotourism by preserving the cleanliness and authenticity of the environment.The community reduces plastic usage.Environmental Quality Improvement in water quality, increase in biodiversity, or decrease in pollution.Domestic and industrial waste management, including wastewater treatment.

Partnerships and Collaborations
Increase in ecotourism or investment in sustainable organic farming.The government works together with environmental NGOs, local communities, and businesses in the planning, funding, and implementation of environmental conservation programs such as afforestation, habitat restoration, or river cleanups.Stakeholders can work together to develop sustainable ecotourism programs which help to produce income for communities around the watershed while preserving the environment.Data source: Analysis of primary data through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions, 2023 The results of this research are also in line with the research of [49,50] which shows that communities actively involved in environmental activities, such as tree planting, cleanup campaigns, and environmental monitoring, can offer a positive contribution to environmental preservation.Table 3 shows that the level of community participation is the primary indicator of environmental awareness.This condition corresponds to the findings of [51,52] which show that when communities are involved in real action to preserve the environment, it reflects their degree of awareness about the importance of environmental conservation.
Furthermore, when communities adopt sustainable practices (such as the use of renewable energy, reduction of waste, and sustainable farming), it will help to build environmental awareness [53,55].This includes changes in the way communities use natural resources and energy.When environmental awareness efforts are successful, environmental quality will increase, marked by an improvement in water quality, increased biodiversity, and reduced pollution.These results are in line with [54], [56][57][58], showing that partnerships between the government, NGOs, businesses, and local communities can strengthen environmental conservation efforts and increase access to resources that are needed.

Conclusion
Building environmental awareness in watershed regions is an endeavor which aims to improve the understanding, attitudes, and behavior of communities in relation to environmental issues that impact the sustainability of the watershed.Building environmental awareness in watershed regions is crucial for preserving the sustainability of the river ecosystem.Watersheds are important ecological systems because they serve to provide a source of clean water, a support for wildlife, and a place for various human activities such as farming, fishery, and habitation.A number of challenges, such as misunderstanding, limited access to information, and lack of concern, must be overcome through education, partnerships, and communication technology.Opportunities, such as integrated education, community participation, and awareness of economic benefits, can provide a strong foundation to motivate conservation action and to preserve the sustainability of watersheds for future generations.Through joint efforts, we can protect this valuable river ecosystem.Watersheds are ecosystems which are vital for the life of human beings and various other living creatures.In spite of the important role that they play in providing a water source and a healthy environment, many watersheds are experiencing environmental degradation as a result of unsustainable human activities.Therefore, the process of building community awareness is a key part of environmental conservation efforts in watershed regions.Community awareness is the initial step in a behavior change that leads towards environmental conservation.This is important as the process of building awareness helps communities to understand how the watershed ecosystem functions and why it is important for their lives.Communities become more aware about the negative effects of human activities on the watershed, including forest clearing, illegal mining, and river pollution.The process of awareness leads to recognition of the shared responsibility of preserving watershed sustainability.Communities that are aware of their environment are more inclined to participate in conservation programs, such as planting trees, monitoring water quality, and sustainable watershed management endeavors.

Table 1 .
Interventions and activities to overcome the challenges in building environmental awareness.Combining various communication methods and approaches to reach communities with various degrees of access to technology.This may include community meetings, traditional media, and online access if possible.Pushing media to educate communities about environmental issues.Providing training for communities about simpler and more affordable ways to use technology.Working together with communities in the development of joint projects to empower communities, while at the same time supporting environmental preservation (construction of waterways involving local communities or wage-based environmental cleanup programs).Data source: Analysis of primary data through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions, 2023