Surabaya River water is unsuitable for drinking water purpose but still used to supply drinking water for people in Surabaya since there is no alternative source. The river is heavily polluted by more than 330 tons of untreated industrial wastewater disposed everyday. The pollutants accumulate in the estuarine of Surabaya East Coast, the most important source of fishery products in Surabaya. Children are the most vulnerable victims of water pollution impacts. A study in year 2000 indicated that 80% of 38 children respondents suffer slow learner syndrome that assumed to be related with environmental pollution and lack of sanitation in the fishermen community at estuarine of Surabaya River. Government reported that 59% of children suffer from cancer lives along Surabaya River and cancer can be caused by toxic contaminants in the environment.

Environmental awareness in the community is still low, that river pollution is out of their concern due to heavy pressure to survive living. Lack of awareness was also caused by lack of knowledge in integrated water management. Children are easy to learn new knowledge that environmental awareness should be build at this age. The project will build environmental awareness to the children especially students at local primary schools. Surabaya River rehabilitation needs participation of the whole community. The children are part of community that posses higher risk to pollution impacts due to incomplete growing body protection system. Children are easy to learn new things from the environment. The environmental education to children will increase knowledge at early stage that will be memorized along their life. It will build children’s responsibility to improve the environment in the future.

The environmental education for children will introduce knowledge that will be memorized along their life and build children responsibility to improve environment in future. The children expected to give more pressure to prevent water pollution and maintain the sustainability of river functions. The project will publish advertisement in local TV station and bring children in an expedition to Surabaya River to observe the pollution sources, biodiversity and water pollution impacts. The children will conduct river monitoring and present the result in exhibition.