Authorities have failed to address integrated management to ensure sustainable water sources, despite deepening problems of access to clean water, say experts.

They said that poor water management would further threaten clean water supplies, especially in urban areas.

Hefni Effendi, an air quality expert from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture said several policies had been issued but implementation remained poor.

He said that as a tropical country, Indonesia had ample sources of water, including from rain. However, he said, poor management had left the population struggling to access clean water.

Aca Sugandhi, a spatial planning expert from the University of Indonesia, concurred, saying that water management continued to worsen.

“There has been no significant paradigm shift from stakeholders in water management. Each sector goes in their own direction,” he said.

The offices responsible for water include, among others,  the Environment Ministry, the Public Works Ministry and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, which issues licenses to bottled companies.

Aca said the quality of water in rivers, basins and lakes also continued to be heavily polluted by domestic and industrial waste. Aside from water supplies, the government has also failed to improve the quality of clean water, he said.

“The government could establish a national water council as an umbrella body tasked to integrate management,” he said.

The world celebrates World Water Day every March 22 and this year the theme is “Clean water for a healthy world”.

Oswar Mungkasa, an official from the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), said the government was focusing on increasing the number of people who had access to piped water. He said it was necessary as groundwater was vulnerable to pollution.

Oswar said the government planned to bring piped water to 10 million households within the next five years.

Hubert Gijzen, director of UNESCO’s regional science bureau for Asia and the Pacific, said that Indonesia and the global community still faced serious water problems.

“The challenge is a global one. Never before in the history of mankind has our planet been subjected to such rapid and profound changes,” said Gijzen.

He said that climate change, rapid urbanization, population growth, the emerging freshwater crisis and the increasing risk of natural disasters were among the challenges.

Some examples of water abuse

• The most extreme example is the flush toilet, which uses drinking water to transport human excreta.
• Using one quality of water for all purposes.
• Continuing to flush an estimated 80 percent of the world wastewater into water resources without any form of treatment.
• Using water only once, without considering recycling options.
• Continuing to draw water from surface and groundwater resources at rates that exceed their replenishment.

Source: Hubert Gijzen

Thejakarta Post, March 22, 2010