Constructing environmental communication meanings through local wisdom and social institutions in the Upper Citarum Watershed

The degradation of the Upper Citarum Watershed (DAS Citarum Hulu) has generated a growing civic movement among environmental activists who live and work in the area. This study explores how these local environmental actors construct the meaning of environmental communication through their lived experiences, cultural orientations, and interactions with community institutions. Using a phenomenological approach, the research uncovers how subjective experiences—such as being victims of pollution, witnessing ecological decline, or inheriting ancestral environmental values—shape activists’ interpretations of their role and actions. The findings reveal that environmental communication is constructed not only as the transmission of ecological messages but also as a relational, moral, and culturally grounded process that integrates Sudanese local wisdom (kearifan lokal) and existing social institutions (pranata sosial). These meaning constructions guide activists’ communication strategies in mobilizing communities for environmental restoration in the Upper Citarum.