River Warrior and co-founder of Sungai Watch

We have cleaned up over 1,500,000 kilos of plastic from Bali’s waterways since we started Sungai Watch and are cleaning up more than 150 rivers every single day with over 100 amazing Sungai Warriors
In 2020, Gary Bencheghib and his two siblings set out to save Bali’s waterways by creating Sungai Watch – a team of river warriors working to create solutions to water pollution across the island. As of 2023, the team has installed 180 trash barriers in Bali’s rivers, and diverted over 1,500,000 kilos of trash. The siblings and the Sungai Watch team aim to install trash barriers in every river in Indonesia by 2025, and expand their work internationally.
Tell us your story – how did you get here?
I grew up on this magical island since the age of nine and very quickly saw the rapid impacts of plastic pollution. Every rainy season, Bali becomes the island of plastic. So at 14 years-old, I decided to do something about it and started cleaning up the beaches. 15 years later, after having travelled to some of the worst rivers in the world, we are on a full mission to clean Indonesia’s rivers with Sungai Watch. We placed our first barrier in 2020, and now in 2023, we have 180 across south Bali.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
One summer, we stumbled across Denpasar’s Mangroves that were entirely clogged in plastic. There was literally a one-metre layer of plastic for hectares and hectares. In just eight months, we cleaned over 30 hectares of the mangroves, and we are now seeing the mangrove forest grow back to life.
What impact have you made in Bali?
We have cleaned up over 1,500,000 kilos of plastic from Bali’s waterways since we started Sungai Watch and are cleaning up more than 180 rivers every single day with 100 amazing Sungai Warriors, our full time Bali team.
What does the future look like for you?
We are on a mission to achieve our goal of installing 1000 barriers in Indonesia’s most polluted rivers. Over the next year, we are expanding to other areas of Java and beyond to prevent as much plastic from ending up in the ocean and start addressing the issue at the source.
What do you love most about Bali?
The diversity of nature. Everyday at Sungai Watch, we get to fully indulge in so many natural treasures the island has to offer.
Who is your Local Legend and why?
Our Sungai Warriors. They are giving everything they can to protect our home. They fuel me, inspire me, and show us that everything is possible!