For millions of people in Indonesia, the Citarum River is both a lifeline and an environmental disaster.
Stretching for nearly 300 kilometres across West Java, the river supplies water to around 30 million people, irrigates vast agricultural land and supports major industries.
Yet in many places, the water is barely visible beneath sprawling blankets of floating rubbish so dense that people have been photographed appearing to walk across its surface.Years of industrial pollution, untreated sewage and plastic waste have transformed sections of the river into one of the world's most polluted waterways.
Although the Indonesian government has pledged to restore the Citarum, the scale of contamination remains one of Southeast Asia's greatest environmental challenges.How Indonesia's Citarum River became one of the world's most polluted waterwaysThe Citarum originates in the mountains of West Java before flowing into the Java Sea.
Along its course, it passes through densely populated cities and one of Indonesia's largest industrial regions.
