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Rivers in Indonesia, particularly in East Java, face serious challenges to their functional sustainability. While technocratic approaches dominate river conservation, local, culturally based practices such as Reresik Kali—an ecocultural river cleansing ritual—offer contextual and participatory alternatives. This study explores the lived meanings, functions, and socio-ecological potential of Reresik Kali in river conservation as interpreted through a hermeneutic–phenomenological lens. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, document and literature reviews, participant observation, and visual documentation in several East Java locations where the ritual is regularly performed. Photographs and narratives were analyzed as phenomenological expressions of ecological meaning rather than quantitative indicators. Qualitative analysis employed a thematic approach grounded in Ecocultural and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) theory, further enriched by the hydrosocial and multispecies justice frameworks. Data analysis combined hermeneutic phenomenology and content analysis to trace both symbolic meanings and thematic ecological patterns. Findings reveal that Reresik Kali positions rivers as spiritual, social, and historical spaces, reflecting the relational bond between humans and nature within local cosmology. It functions as a medium for intergenerational transmission of ecological values, a platform for social solidarity across faiths and ages, and a symbolic resistance to exploitative environmental practices. While single events may be short-lived, their repetition nurtures ethical awareness, cooperation, and informal local rules that cumulatively reinforce social–ecological resilience. Practically, it can strengthen ecological awareness and contribute to achieving SDGs 6 (Clean Water), 11 (Sustainable Cities), 16.7 (Inclusive Decision-Making), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Thus, Reresik Kali is not only a cultural heritage but also a participatory and policy-relevant model of sustainable, community-based conservation strategy, showing that ecological solutions can emerge from local wisdom as a complement to scientific and technological approaches. • Reresik Kali is an ecocultural river cleansing ritual rooted in East Javanese local wisdom and practiced regularly across various communities. • This tradition integrates spirituality, intergenerational ecological education, and social solidarity, representing rivers as spiritual, social, and historical spaces. • Using hermeneutic phenomenology and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), the study reveals that Reresik Kali embodies symbolic resistance to environmental degradation. • The ritual contributes to alternative river conservation strategies beyond technocratic and bureaucratic approaches, aligning with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). • The study urges formal policy integration, legal protection, and budget allocation to codify Reresik Kali as an intangible cultural heritage and a model of community-based conservation.
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