On Saturday, August 17, 2024, UI GreenMetric, in collaboration with Universitas Indonesia (UI), joined forces with 45 other environmentally-conscious universities across Indonesia to celebrate the 79th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. Together, they set a MURI (Indonesian World Records Museum) record for "The Most Eco-Enzyme Liquid Distributed by Universities in Indonesia." This year's event saw participation from 46 universities, a significant increase from 22 in 2023 and 11 in 2022. The award was presented by MURI Vice President Director, Osmar Semesta Susilo, to the Acting Head of UI GreenMetric, Dr. Junaidi, S.S., M.A., during the Eco-Enzyme Festival at the UI Central Library’s Floating Room.

The Eco-Enzyme Festival involved the distribution of eco-enzyme liquid into lakes and rivers within campus areas. This year, a total of 20,928 liters of eco-enzyme were collected from 46 universities and distributed into various water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and ponds on their campuses. UI contributed 1,764 liters of eco-enzyme, produced by all faculties, schools, and vocational programs, with additional donations from the Upakara Bioenzim Indonesia Foundation.

During the event’s opening, UI Secretary Dr. Agustin Kusumayati, M.Sc., Ph.D., emphasized that the Eco-Enzyme Festival is an innovative initiative by UI GreenMetric aimed at promoting environmental sustainability. “This year marks the third Eco-Enzyme Festival, and it has attracted the highest number of participants, with 46 universities involved. This initiative is designed to raise awareness and encourage active participation from universities on environmental issues. We hope such activities will foster a sense of responsibility and understanding among students, faculty, and the surrounding community,” she stated.

Dr. Junaidi explained that the eco-enzyme produced was distributed into six lakes on the UI campus: Kenanga, Aghatis, Mahoni, Puspa, Ulin, and Salam. This eco-enzyme is expected to improve the quality of water bodies at UI, thereby supporting ecosystem sustainability. These six lakes play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity, providing clean water supplies, and serving as water catchment areas.

“The existence of these lakes supports the environmental carrying capacity of Depok, helping to mitigate flooding during the rainy season, providing water supply during drought, and contributing to the regulation of the microclimate in Depok. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the water quality in the UI lakes,” Dr. Junaidi emphasized.

The Eco-Enzyme Festival was also attended by UI Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Drg. Nurtami Soedarsono, Ph.D., Sp.OF(k); UI Director of Operations and Facility Maintenance, Dr. Dwi Marta Nurjaya, S.T., M.T.; ILUNI UI Chairperson, Didit Ratam; UI Head of Public Relations and Information Disclosure Bureau, Amelita Lusia; Senior MURI Manager, Awan Rahargo; several vice deans and directors from various UI departments; as well as 60 UI students who volunteered to participate in this historic event.

The other 45 participating universities include Universitas Syiah Kuala, Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji, Universitas Lampung, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, Universitas Esa Unggul, Universitas Kuningan, Universitas Wahid Hasyim, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, Universitas Negeri Malang, Universitas Wiraraja, Universitas Pattimura, Universitas Teuku Umar, Politeknik Teknologi Kimia Industri, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara, Universitas Andalas, Universitas Negeri Padang, Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi, Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Fatah Palembang, Universitas Bengkulu, Universitas Padjadjaran, Universitas Widyatama, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Universitas Winaya Mukti, Universitas Budi Luhur, Universitas Trisakti, Universitas Mitra Bangsa, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara, Universitas Diponegoro, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo Semarang, Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Yogyakarta, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Universitas Ciputra Surabaya, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Universitas Brawijaya, UIN Mataram, Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis STIKOM Bali, and Universitas Kristen Indonesia Tomohon.

This initiative aims to reduce the release of chemicals found in soaps and toxic waste that can damage the water quality around campuses. It aligns with Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which focuses on the conservation of aquatic ecosystems, seas, and marine resources. UI GreenMetric hopes to see continued sustainable actions from all participating universities and aims to expand this initiative internationally in the future.

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Source: Universitas Indonesia's Press Conference

Written by: Yovita Y. Yamin