Purpose: This study examines how participatory, community-based social work interventions can promote pro-environmental behavioral change among residents of the Musi River in Indonesia. Method: A 6-month participatory action research design was implemented across three riverine communities. Data were collected from N = 40 participants using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and behavioral surveys. Results: The intervention led to substantial shifts in reported environmental behavior, strengthened collective norms, and the emergence of a shared ecological identity. Residents demonstrated increased participation in river stewardship, peer-based monitoring, and localized environmental leadership. Discussion: The findings underscore the transformative potential of community-based social work in addressing environmental degradation. Through culturally grounded engagement, social workers functioned as facilitators of normative and structural change. This study contributes to advancing ecosocial frameworks within global social work practice, particularly in under-resourced urban contexts.
AaslundH.WollK. M. (2021). Resident participation as learning and action—A participatory action learning project in social work education. Social Work Education, 40(1), 124–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1856364
2.
AgathaC.SherlynS.SetiawatiS. A.MariaA. N. A.AndreynS. V.SantosoA. H.KanaishiaI.AdhinugrahaA. S. (2024). Ciliwung River pollution case study: Analysis of causal factors and impact reduction regulations. Aurelia Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengabdian Masyarakat Indonesia, 4(1), 1082–1089. https://doi.org/10.57235/aurelia.v4i1.4650
3.
AgustrianiF.PurwiyantoA. I. S.PutriW. A. E.FauziyahF. (2019). Concentration of heavy metals (Pb and Cu) in Alepes Vari and Johnius Belangerii from Musi River Estuary, Banyuasin district, South Sumatra. Jurnal Lahan Suboptimal Journal of Suboptimal Lands, 8(2), 213–219. https://doi.org/10.33230/jlso.8.2.2019.447
4.
AhmadA. F.BalisanyW. M. K. (2024). Sustainable tourism management and ecotourism as a tool to evaluate tourism’s contribution to the sustainable development goals and local community. OTS Canadian Journal, 2(5), 33–45. https://doi.org/10.58840/yq3mc387
5.
AkelloS.TuryahabweN.SseguyaH.OkulloP.AgeaJ. G. (2017). Local community participation in restoration of watersheds in Uganda. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 5(2), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.12691/env-5-2-1
6.
AsingL. H. (2024). River pollution in Malaysia: Conservation instead of endlessly cleaning works. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(1), 885. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v14-i1/20184
7.
AtienzaV. (2008). A breakthrough in solid waste management through participation and community mobilization: The experience of Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. EROPA Seminar 2008: “Governance in a Triptych: Environment, Migration, Peace and Order” 23–25 October, 17–34. https://www.apu.ac.jp/rcaps/uploads/fckeditor/publications/journal/RJAPS_V24_Atienza.pdf
8.
AzizA. A.MuhidA. (2022). Teori Belajar Behavioristik Dalam Kitab Bughyatul Ikhwan Karya Imam Ramli. Scaffolding Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Dan Multikulturalisme, 4(2), 444–461. https://doi.org/10.37680/scaffolding.v4i2.1533
9.
AzwarS. (2016). Reliabilitas dan Validitas (Edisi ke-4). Pustaka Pelajar.
10.
BambangW.AriS.SusiloK.FebriatiA. W. F. (2016). Cultural approach of sustainability in dwellings culture Riparian community Musi River Palembang. Dimensi: Journal of Architecture and Built Environment, 43(2), 85–92. https://doi.org/10.9744/dimensi.43.2.85-92
11.
BanduraA. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
12.
BeggS. S.N’YeurtA. D. R.IeseV. (2022). Rainfall and land use impacts on water quality and communities in the Waimanu River catchment in the South Pacific: The case of Viti Levu, Fiji. Regional Environmental Change, 22(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-022-01961-9
BudayováZ.SvobodaM.KóšaM.TudoseC.MolchanovaI. (2022). Lifelong learning and development for social workers. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 13(2), 359–368. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2022.2.359.368
15.
BudiamanB.PurwandariD. A.H.N. S. (2021). Local wisdom as environmental education on Kasepuhan Ciptagelar. Linguistics and Culture Review, 5(3), 1368–1376. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v5ns3.1818
16.
BudisafitriD. B. (2024). Regulasi Hukum Lingkungan Dalam Pencemaran Limbah Industri Di Sungai Citarum: Kepatuhan Industri Dan Dampaknya Pada Lingkungan. Progress, 1(3), 48–58. https://doi.org/10.62383/progres.v1i3.419
17.
DollahR.JafarA.RadziM. M.SakkeN.MapaM. T.MarainingA. (2023). Elevating the community-based approach towards river management: A case study of Squatter’s Community in Inanam-Likas River Basin in Sabah, Malaysia. Indonesian Journal of Geography, 55(3), 553–563. https://doi.org/10.22146/ijg.77869
18.
DominelliL. (2012). Green social work: From environmental crises to environmental justice. Polity Press.
19.
DrouinG.FahsM.DrozB.YounésA.ImfeldG.PayraudeauS. (2021). Pollutant dissipation at the sediment–water interface: A robust discrete continuum numerical model and recirculating laboratory experiments. Water Resources Research, 57(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020wr028932
GeertsR.VandermoereF.OosterlynckS. (2020). The functionality of dissimilarity: Pro-environmental behavior through heterogenous networks. Social Sciences, 9(12), 221. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci9120221
22.
GergenK. J. (2009). An invitation to social construction: Co-creating the future. Sage Publications.
23.
GrusecJ. E. (1992). Social learning theory and developmental psychology: The legacies of Robert Sears and Albert Bandura. Developmental Psychology, 28(5), 776–786. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.28.5.776
24.
HabibS. (2024). Eco-friendly practices in school management: A case study of sustainability in Pakistani elementary schools. Journal of Education and Social Studies, 5(2), 571–577. https://doi.org/10.52223/jess.2024.5236
25.
HongT.SuoD. (2021). The trickle-down effect of responsible leadership on employees’ pro-environmental behaviors: Evidence from the hotel industry in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111677
26.
HuangC.-H.ChangT.TingC.HuangS. Y. B. (2024). How does organizational leadership promote pro-environmental behavior? A moderated mediation model of environmental corporate social responsibility policies. Sustainability, 16(11), 4716. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114716
27.
IkhlayelM.NguyenL. H. (2017). Integrated approaches to water resource and solid waste management for sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 25(6), 467–481. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1683
28.
JoubertL.WebberM. (2024). Practice research in social work: Themes, opportunities and impact. Research on Social Work Practice, 34(6), 567–578. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315241229426
29.
KindonS.PainR.KesbyM. (Eds.). (2007). Participatory action research approaches and methods: Connecting people, participation and place. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203933671
30.
KirklandK.Van LangeP. A. M.CharalambousN.StraussC. R.BastianB. (2024). Beauty builds cooperation by increasing moral concern for the environment. Environment and Behavior, 56(5–6), 355–382. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139165241291700
31.
KLHK. (2023). Indonesia's climate actions towards 2030. Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. ISBN: 978-623-440-022-9.
32.
KondaS.AsatiA.WilliamsM.MudiamM. K. R. (2022). Development and evaluation of a multi-class analytical method based on solid-phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in urban wastewater samples. Separation Science Plus, 5(5), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1002/sscp.202100041
LestariH.HaribowoR.YulianiE. (2019). Determination of pollution load capacity using QUAL2Kw program on the Musi River Palembang. Civil and Environmental Science, 2(2), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.civense.2019.00202.4
36.
McNeeceC. A.ThyerB. A. (2004). Evidence-based practice and social work. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 1(1), 7–25. https://doi.org/10.1300/J394v01n01_02
37.
MouchrekN.CullenC.GaninoA.GligaV.KramerP.MaheshR.MaunderL.MurrayS.ScottK.ShaikhT. (2023). Investigating environmental values and psychological barriers to sustainable behaviors among college students. Consilience, 1(26), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.52214/consilience.vi26.10153
38.
MukutS.RahamanM. M.AzimM. R.HossainM. M.UddinM. H. (2023). Water quality assessment of Karnaphuli River of Bangladesh using CCME-WQI method. Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology, 20(1), 6–15. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajee/2023/v20i1429
Nguyen-VanP.StengerA.TietT. (2021). Social incentive factors in interventions promoting sustainable behaviors: A meta-analysis. PLoS One, 16(12), e0260932. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260932
41.
OlssonT. M.von Thiele SchwarzU.HassonH.ViraE. G.SundellK. (2024). Adapted, adopted, and novel interventions: A whole-population meta-analytic replication of intervention effects. Research on Social Work Practice, 34(8), 860–872. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315231218646
42.
PairanM. A.ZamriN.IsmailA. (2023). Assessment of water in Terengganu River, Malaysia using multivariate statistical techniques and fuzzy DEMATEL. International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering and Information Technology, 13(4), 1225–1234. https://doi.org/10.18517/ijaseit.13.4.17894
43.
PratamaA.NugrahaM. H.NaofalN. A.AnggaraN.LumbantobingP.SulastriE. (2024a). Community-based strategies for tuberculosis prevention and control: Synergistic approach in reaching all levels of society. Journal of Public Health, 46(4), e693–e694. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdae155
44.
PratamaA.WahyudinU.HatimahI.SulistionoE.FuadiD. S.FeriantiF. HidayatT.HaryantoH.SardinS. (2024b). From tradition to action: The potential of community empowerment through local wisdom for sustainable environmental protection practices. The Eurasia Proceedings of Educational and Social Sciences, 2(35), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.55549/epess.820
45.
RahmanM. K.MasudM. M.AkhtarR.HossainM. M. (2021). Impact of community participation on sustainable development of marine protected areas: Assessment of ecotourism development. International Journal of Tourism Research, 24(1), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2480
46.
RahutamiS.SaidM. I.IbrahimE.HerpandıH. (2022). Actual status assessment and prediction of the Musi River water quality, Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 23(10), 68–79. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/152284
SeptianiN. N.WijayantiP.AzzahraS. A.NikmahL. (2024). Livelihood assets analysis of freshwater stingray fishermen in Musi River, Palembang City, South Sumatera. Economic and Social of Fisheries and Marine, 11(2), 236–250. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.ecsofim.2024.011.02.07
49.
SetiantoH.UtayaS.BachriS.UtomoD. H.TaryanaD. (2025). Urban flood risk management: A study of adaptation based on knowledge of ethnic communities on the banks of the Musi River in Palembang. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning, 20(3), 1253–1263. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.200330
50.
SetyawanA.NisarM.HermawanF. (2024). Analysis of the water quality index (WQI) of the Kupang River to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 1414(1), 012004. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1414/1/012004
51.
SharmaT.RavichandranC. (2021). Appraisal of seasonal variations in water quality of River Cauvery using multivariate analysis. Water Science, 35(1), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/23570008.2021.1897741
52.
ShiJ.LuC.WeiZ. (2022). Effects of social capital on pro-environmental behaviors in Chinese residents. Sustainability, 14(21), 13855. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113855
53.
SmithC. J.DupréK. E.McEvoyA.KennyS. (2021). Community perceptions and pro-environmental behavior: The mediating roles of social norms and climate change risk. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement, 53(2), 200–210. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000229
54.
SoeyantoE.MorimotoA.HayamiY.SudaryantoA. (2023). Seasonal spreading and age of Citarum River water in the Jakarta Bay. IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 1137(1), 012009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1137/1/012009
55.
SudarnoS.WibowoM. A.AndariniP.KurniatamaD. V. P.HumairaN. G. (2024). Methods for determining the water quality index in developing Asian countries: A review. Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology, 25(2), 311–323. https://doi.org/10.12912/27197050/176709
56.
SulthonuddinI.HartonoD. M.SaidC. A. A. (2020). Using Nemerow’s pollution index method for water quality assessment of Cimanuk River in West Java. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.22-10-2019.2291494
TajfelH.TurnerJ. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In WorchelS.AustinW. G. (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 276–293). Nelson-Hall.
59.
TjahjonoA. (2022). Water quality and sediment index in the downstream section of Palembang’s Musi River, South Sumatera. Environmental Analysis & Ecology Studies, 9(4), 1045–1053. https://doi.org/10.31031/eaes.2022.09.000720
UtamiR.ImamiA. D.AzharR. F.AzizahR.AwfaD. (2023). Review of water quality index models as river quality evaluation tool: Insight from various rivers in Indonesia. IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 1263(1), 012040. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1263/1/012040
62.
VerdugoV. C.PatoC.SotoN. Y. T. (2021). Testing a tridimensional model of sustainable behavior: Self-care, caring for others, and caring for the planet. Environment Development and Sustainability, 23(9), 12867–12882. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-01189-9
63.
VieiraI. R.AguiarM. R. F.AmaranteL. H. M.SalesM. B. A.VirapongseA.OliveiraJ. S. d. (2023). Perception of riverside folk about environmental degradation in the Igaraçu River, Piauí, Brazil. Sociedade & Natureza, 35(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.14393/sn-v35-2023-67765
64.
WaltonT.JonesR. E. (2022). An information-theoretic approach to modeling the major drivers of pro-environmental behavior. Sustainability, 14(22), 14668. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214668
