COMMUNITY PERCEPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS IN THE UPPER CITARUM WATERSHED: A MULTI-ELEMENT ASSESSMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE REHABILITATION POLICY

Irianti Usman (Muhammadiyah University of Bandung)
Abdul Rifai Natanegara (Muhammadiyah University of Bandung)

Multidiciplinary Output Research for Actual and International Issue (Morfai Journal)
Vol. 6 No. 6 (2026): Multidiciplinary Output Research For Actual and International Issue

The Upper Citarum River Basin in Kertasari District, Bandung Regency, West Java, has been the target of rehabilitation programs since 2000; however, domestic, agricultural, and livestock pollution persists. Previous programs have emphasized physical infrastructure rather than behavioral and institutional change and have lacked community-level baseline data. This mixed-methods study presents a social and environmental behavior assessment in Cihawuk, Cibeureum, Tarumajaya, and Cikembang villages as a basis for further rehabilitation planning. A 41-item questionnaire was administered to 240 students, while interviews, focus group discussions, and observations involved six community groups. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro–Wilk, Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney tests, while qualitative data were analyzed using domain analysis and document analysis. Results showed relatively similar behavioral profiles: only 38.9–40.4% of students agreed with environmentally oriented statements, whereas 59.6–61.1% disagreed, with no significant differences between areas (p = 0.992). Qualitative findings highlighted inadequate waste and livestock management facilities, weak integration of environmental education, low trust in government, and unsustainable past programs. Upper Citarum pollution is therefore a cross-regional structural issue, requiring coordinated, evidence-based, behavior-oriented policies integrating educational, cultural, social, economic, and institutional interventions.