Embarking upon Joint Action on Water Stewardship at Basin Level in Western Java

Yayasan AWS Indonesia has been actively supporting the establishment of the Indonesia Water Coalition since early 2020 and has been undertaking several activities to support knowledge sharing on water stewardship including training and strategy development. This report represents the findings of a study led by Yayasan AWS Indonesia geared towards identifying the building blocks for a roadmap on joint action by the Indonesia Water Coalition in the western region of Java.

Indonesia, although being a water-rich country, is seeing increasing water stress. The 2021 World Bank states that the country’s water demand is continuing to increase another 31 percent between 2015 and 2045 under demographic and economic forces. If business as usual continues, by 2045, 67% of Indonesia’s GDP is predicted to be generated in highly stressed basins (World Bank, 2021).

There is an urgent need to take action on water and there is an opportunity for private sector to step up and increase their role as good water stewards. Leading private sector are implementing ways to take action to reduce water-related risks, increase business resilience and boost their reputation as good water stewards. To tackle the growing water challenges and build resilience, there is a need for more joint action on water. However, actions are often still taking place on indivudial basis, are scattered and impacts at scale are lacking. Especially under COVID-19 it is more important than ever to ensure proper access to water as first measure of defence.

The Indonesia Water Coalition established in January 2021 focuses on just that: promoting joint action on water at the catchment level. The Coalition aims to build a movement led by the private sector, with the capacity and commitment to take action on and contribute to the complex water challenges in Java. Its current members are Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), Global Water Partnership Southeast Asia, PT Coca-Cola Indonesia, PT Unilever Indonesia, PT LÓreal Indonesia, PT Multi Bintang Indonesia, PT Nestlé Indonesia, PT Danone Indonesia and Yayasan Aliansi Wali Sumber Daya Air Indonesia (AWS Indonesia). The Indonesia Water Coalition members have a shared objective to actively work towards water security and sustainable management of water resources through collective action in West-Java basins and aims to build a movement led by the private sector, with the capacity and commitment to take action on and contribute to the complex water challenges in Java. It aims to create a platform for collaboration and ignite participation of other water users.  

Yayasan AWS Indonesia is the active promoter of good water stewardship as defined by the International Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard in Indonesia. As the majority of the Indonesia Water Coalition consists of members of the Alliance for Water Stewardship, Yayasan AWS Indonesia aims to support opportunities for joint and credible action by AWS members. A so-called first mover on water can be a challenging task. Implementation of the AWS Standard around the world shows that first movers can use the AWS Standard as a practical framework to start understanding and planning for water-related risks and opportunities, both at site and catchment level.