Kesenjangan Pengetahuan dan Perilaku Masyarakat terhadap Pencemaran Air dan Eceng Gondok Danau Tondano

Abstract

Lake Tondano is a strategic freshwater ecosystem in North Sulawesi that is increasingly affected by anthropogenic pressure and water hyacinth proliferation. This study aimed to describe community knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behaviors related to water pollution and water hyacinth in lakeshore villages. A descriptive quantitative field survey was conducted on 14 March 2026 in Leleko, Sendangan, and Talikuran Villages, Remboken District, Minahasa Regency. Thirty residents who lived near and interacted with Lake Tondano were selected purposively. Primary data were collected through observation, interviews, and questionnaires, while questionnaire responses were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. Women comprised 56.7% of respondents, with a mean age of 46.6 years. Basic environmental knowledge was relatively favorable: 76.7% agreed that household waste causes water pollution and 73.3% recognized that waste disposal into waterways reduces water quality. However, only 36.7% agreed that water hyacinth can reduce dissolved oxygen and 36.7% recognized it as an indicator of nutrient pollution. A descriptive knowledge-behavior gap was evident because 20.0% reported disposing garbage into the lake, 43.3% had household drainage flowing toward the lake, and 53.3% reported disposing household liquid or solid waste into the lake. Community-based education should therefore be accompanied by improved waste and wastewater infrastructure, source-control measures, and participatory water hyacinth management.