From Water Hyacinth to Global Impact: How Tanissa Puti Rahmadiva Is Redefining Sustainability in Indonesia

JOURNALNUSANTARA.COM, PURWAKARTA - Indonesia continues to face mounting environmental challenges, from unsustainable waste management systems to fragmented disposal practices and environmentally harmful lifestyles. These issues have long fueled widespread pollution across the country.

For Tanissa Puti Rahmadiva, a young social entrepreneur and community development graduate from UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, these realities became a call to action.

Rather than remaining a critic on the sidelines, Tanissa chose to become part of the solution.

For more than four years, she has worked alongside communities surrounding Jatiluhur Reservoir, located within the Citarum River which one of Indonesia’s most polluted waterways.

Severe contamination in the area has led to the uncontrolled spread of water hyacinth, a fast-growing aquatic plant that blankets the reservoir, disrupts transportation, damages fisheries, and threatens local livelihoods.

Where many saw an environmental burden, Tanissa saw opportunity.

In response, she founded Bumi Kreasi Jatiluhur, a social enterprise that transforms water hyacinth into high-value handicrafts.

Through this initiative, more than 20 active artisans that mostly women and homemakers which have gained sustainable sources of income. Each year, approximately 500 people receive training in weaving and production skills, with programs reaching communities as far as Lake Sentani in Papua.

Beyond economic empowerment, the initiative plays a critical role in controlling the spread of invasive plants, contributing directly to ecosystem restoration.

Previously, water hyacinth management depended on heavy machinery and government-funded clean-up projects costing billions of rupiah annually. Today, Tanissa’s community-based model has shifted the approach toward collective responsibility.

Local residents voluntarily collect, dry, and supply raw materials, forming a grassroots environmental economy. Bumi Kreasi’s products have since entered international markets, demonstrating how local solutions can achieve global relevance.

These efforts align closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Climate Action, Gender Equality, and Decent Work and Economic Growth.

In 2024, Bumi Kreasi Jatiluhur received the “The Most Social Impact” award from UNDP Indonesia, marking a major milestone in its journey. The recognition affirmed the initiative’s measurable contributions to both environmental protection and social inclusion.

Yet for Tanissa, recognition is not the end goal.