Kick-Off: Water Scarcity Program
In the Asia–Pacific region, water resources form the basis of agrarian prosperity and economic development. However, increasing water demand due to population growth, rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, and a changing climate undermine those water resources. Like many parts of the world, the Asia–Pacific faces increasing water scarcity, with varying characteristics, causes and trends across a diverse range of countries at different stages of development.
Indonesia experiences three types of water scarcity: too variable water, over-utilisation and poor water quality. While Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua have surplus water availability, Java, Nusa Tenggara Timur and Nusa Tenggara Barat experience localised water scarcity of varying types and severities. There is seasonal scarcity in parts of Indonesia, resulting in too variable water; during the dry season, 24 of 128 river basins are unable to meet water demands. Over-utilisation of water resources is also an issue in Indonesia, with water conflicts between users. Water demand is increasing due to economic pressures; industrial water demand alone is expected to increase from 9 billion m3 to 36 billion m3 between 2015 and 2045.
The Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas together with other stakeholders, are collaborating with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to implement the Asia-Pacific Water Scarcity Program in Indonesia. The program is being implemented together with Australian technical partners Alluvium-Amperes, funded by the Australian Water Partnership, which is supported by the Australian Government. The Asia-Pacific Water Scarcity Program (WSP) aims to support countries in the Asia-Pacific Region to take practical steps to address and manage water scarcity while experiencing rapid population growth in a changing climate.
Benefit of WSP:
The WSP aims to bring water use within sustainable limits and prepare the region for a productive future with less water through building national capacities in routine water accounting, promoting evidence-based policy, empowering national governments to address water resource challenges, and promoting regional cooperation.
Outputs of WSP in Indonesia:
- Establish National Multidisciplinary Government Teams:
- High-Level National Multidisciplinary Team (NMT)
- National Multidisciplinary Team Water Accounting Working Group (NMTWG)
- Deliver Water Accounting Trainings
- Develop Pilot Water Account (Cimanuk River Basin)
- Deliver Water Accounting Roadmap
- Deliver Water Scarcity Action Plan (WSAP)
- Deliver Water Scarcity Declaration
- Deliver High-Level Regional Technical Meeting on Water Scarcity
- Deliver Regional Water Scarcity Symposium
- Regional Practitioners Guide on Water Accounting
On Monday 21st August 2023, BAPPENAS together with Water Stewardship Indonesia (WSI) a leading organisation on good water stewardship in Indonesia, Global Water Partnership Southeast-Asia (GWP-SEA) a multi-stakeholders platform to foster an integrated approach to water resources management (IWRM), FutureWater, Alluvium-Amperes and other stakeholders held a Kick-Off Meeting Workshop for the Water Scarcity Program (WSP) through a hybrid event to inform, discuss and obtain more inputs for the optimal implementation of WSP and cross ministries attended this Kick-off meeting, which reached 99 participants.
One of the important components in implementing the WSP is the formation of a National Multidisciplinary Team (NMT) whose members come from various organisations across waterusing sectors (government, private sector, university, and society). The NMT will have a key role in developing the Pilot Water Account, Water Accounting Roadmap, Water Scarcity Declaration, and Water Scarcity Action Plan (WSAP). The Water Scarcity Action Plan (WSAP) will be used as one of the key references in planning and budgeting for the Water Security program in Indonesia.
For more information, please contact (Mr) Fany Wedahuditama: fany@ws-indonesia.org and/or fany.wedahuditama@gwpsea.org
The Water Security Program (WSP) is supported by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations in Partnership with the Australian Water Partnership (AWP) which is supported by the Australian Government.
