Fresh mountain air, clear skies and the tranquil atmosphere of Gumuk village on the slopes of Mount Merapi hide one of Indonesia's most valuable natural assets: an underground aquifer system that provides naturally filtered drinking water for millions of people.Rainwater that falls on Mount Merapi gradually infiltrates layers of mineral-rich volcanic rock before flowing into deep underground aquifers. Around 25 kilometers away, the water emerges at the protected source used by AQUA to produce its bottled drinking water.

Conservation as a business necessity

For AQUA, protecting this natural ecosystem is more than an environmental commitment; it is fundamental to the sustainability of its business.

"As we all know, AQUA uses mountain spring water as its raw material, making volcanic mountains extremely important to our business," said Karyanto Wibowo, public affairs and sustainability director at Danone Indonesia, during a media visit to the upper Pusur River watershed in Klaten on July 7.

"That is why conserving natural ecosystems and working closely with local communities are essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our bottled water business."