Vice President of Republic of Indonesia, HE. Jusuf Kalla, on his speech when opened the Nusantara Water Conference and Exhibition (Nusantara Water), 17 Dec, 2008 in Jakarta, emphasized that both local government and local water enterprises have significant role and responsibility for water service providing.  Mr. Kalla said that water is human basic needs that has to deliver to all people, as food and energy. “Our development paradigm was refined, where in the past we thinking about nine food’s basic components (sembilan bahan pokok, sembako), but now  water is an important basic needs for all people, as important as food and energy” said Kalla.  As mandated by law, water providing is government (particularly local government) responsibility (Law No. 32/2004 and water resources Law No 7/2004).  Local Government-own water enterprises (Perusahaan Air Minum Daerah, PDAM) has significant role to ensure that an adequate and safe water is serviced to community, particularly at urban area.

An event was organised by WASPOLA titled “The National Workshop on Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation (WSES) Data Management”. The event took place at Hotel Sahid Jakarta, 2 – 3 December 2008. The main purpose of the event was to publicise the study conducted by WASPOLA examining how WSES (where said in Bahasa Indonesia as: Air Minum dan Penyehatan Lingkungan, AMPL) data was managed in the regional areas of Indonesia in order to build an efficient and effective development of AMPL, in accordance to the objectives set in MDGs 2015.