Rivers play a pivotal role in providing essential ecosystem services and natural resources that are crucial for both human and ecological well-being. However, inappropriate exploitation of river ecosystems can jeopardize their ability to deliver these services, posing significant risks to human welfare and environmental sustainability in the future. Therefore, restoring degraded river ecosystems is crucial to ensuring the sustainability of environmental provisions to meet current and future demands. In urban settings, rivers hold particular significance in maintaining the sustainability of water resources. Batang Arau, a major river flowing through the heart of Padang City, Indonesia. serves as a critical resource supporting various community needs and activities. The river provides essential ecosystem services, including raw water for the municipal water supply (PDAM), as well as support for bathing, washing, sanitation, agriculture, and livestock. Additionally, its estuary supports vital transportation services, functioning as an inter-island shipping port on the West Coast of West Sumatra. This study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology, reviewing scholarly articles from Google Scholar, Elsevier, and ScienceDirect. The TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methodology) framework was used to classify research and identify knowledge gaps, thereby paving the way for future research directions. Sustainable management of the river's ecosystem services can be achieved through a sociocultural assessment approach, emphasizing environmental behavior via the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), and an economic approach through Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES). These strategies can inform policies and programs that mitigate environmental degradation by actively involving community participation.
Yuliza et al. (Sat,) studied this question.