The Jeneberang watershed is one of degraded watersheds and is included in the 15 national priority watersheds in Indonesia. By using an ecosystem approach, this study aims to analyze the deforestation in Jeneberang that pose a cascading risks to the ecosystem sustainability throughout the watershed, starting from the upstream, middle-stream to downstream areas. The methods consist of a literature review, spatial analysis, focus group discussions (FGD), in-depth interviews, and field observations. This study reveals that human activities dominate deforestation along the Jeneberang watershed with activities varying by watershed areas. The forest cover in the upstream area is only 16.8% of 78,883.9 hectares. The deforestation is mainly caused by horticultural agriculture and tourism development. Meanwhile, in the middle and downstream areas, massive land-use changes and technological interventions occur through infrastructure development such as Bili-Bili Reservoir, dykes, and sand pockets. These activities coupled with physiography of Jeneberang River and extreme weather conditions which have a high impact on cascading risks, including landslides in the upstream which affect high sedimentation in the Jeneberang River and Bili-Bili Reservoir as well as flash floods during the rainy season and the risk of drought in the dry season. The cascading risks in Jeneberang Watershed also affects the decline in quantity and quality of water in the river and Reservoir leading to a lack of water sources for irrigating rice fields and a shortage of clean and drinking water for residents in the downstream and urban areas including Makassar City.