1 - Mahakam River, enviornmental degradation, and the tears of the surrounding residents

Makaham river is the largest river in East Kalimantan which empties into the Makassar Strait. The river has a watershed area of 149,277 square kilometers and a length of 920 kilometers. This river crosses West Kutai and Kutai Kertanegara Regency and Samarinda City. In the city of Samarinda, this river passes through several villages, such as Loa Buah, Loa Janan Ilir, Loa Bakung, Karang Asam Ulu, Teluk Lerong Ulu, Teluk Lerong Ilir, Pasar Pagi, Karang Mumus, Selili, Kelurahan Mesjid, Pulau Atas, Sungai Kapih, Rawa Makmur, dan Bukuan.With the flow of the river that passes through several villages, the interaction between the Mahakam river and the people who gather around it has been going on for a long time. Rivers become a source of clean water, fisheries, and  transportation. However, the river is under pressure due to pollution. The environmental damage in this river is caused by Forest Concession Rights (HPH) and coal and gold mining. According to some reports, in 2020, for example, coal production reached 187.8 million tons with reserves of 48.2 billion tons. Meanwhile, in downstream of the river, there are many industrial activities both small and large scale. These industrial activities have consequences for sedimentation.