The meeting was inaugurated by Mr. Mohammad Irfan Saleh, Director of Water Resources at the Ministry of National Development Planning, who outlined key strategic issues in water resource management. He highlighted the challenges in meeting rising water demands, improving water productivity, and addressing the impacts of climate change alongside population and economic growth pressures. Over the past year, the WSP has been active through initiatives such as training in water accounting, field visits to the Cimanuk watershed, and the development of a water accounting roadmap. This second NMT meeting aimed to strengthen stakeholder commitments, optimize the implementation of the WSP, and plan the next steps for the focused working groups.
In developing the WSAP, several critical issues must be considered. These include the impacts of climate change, inefficiencies in water resource management, and rapid population growth, which provide the rationale for WSAP’s development. Additionally, the concept of water tenure, data availability, and the capacity to conduct water accounting, along with the necessary tools, must be integrated into the WSAP’s framework. A clear formulation guideline is essential to ensure that the WSAP is developed systematically, implemented effectively, and continuously monitored and refined by all stakeholders.
Moreover, the WSAP will not only address technical issues but will also analyze the primary challenges of water scarcity in Indonesia, with a particular focus on gender and inclusion, and propose solutions to emerging water scarcity challenges.
Session 1 – A refreshment on the Water Scarcity Program
This session was moderated by Mr. Ewin Sofian Winata, ST, MEM, from the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, with Mr. Fany Wedahuditama providing an overview of the Water Scarcity Programme (WSP), including its main objectives, benefits, and expected outputs.
Representatives from various supporting organizations, including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs, and other relevant ministries contributed their insights on several key aspects of the WSP:
- The climate rationale underlying the program.
- The emphasis on optimizing water usage, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and ensuring that existing activities across ministries align with the WSAP, building on existing initiatives rather than starting from scratch.
- Considerations related to population growth, pollution, and infrastructure development.
Session 2 – Progress and Lessons Learned
Throughout the implementation of the Water Scarcity Programme (WSP), several valuable lessons have been learned. Key insights include the need for a well-established regulatory and policy framework to guide water accounting and inform water allocation, the development of a water accounting and allocation process in the Cimanuk Basin, and the necessity of a strategic roll-out plan to implement these processes across other priority basins. Additionally, it was emphasized that local water resource managers in each basin should be more actively engaged as part of this roll-out strategy.
Another critical lesson learned is the significance of water tenure, which encompasses the relationships between water resources and various stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples, disability groups, women, and children. As a result, water tenure has been recognized as an essential component of the WSP.
In summary, the lessons learned highlight the need for comprehensive water accounting guidelines that address both surface and groundwater, the creation of clear and straightforward templates and tools for water accounting, effective data availability and management, and the benefits that extend beyond mere accounting. Additionally, the importance of conducting a thorough water tenure analysis and comprehensive piloting has been underscored.
Session 3 – Framework of Water Scarcity Action Plan (WSAP)
The National Water Scarcity Action Plan (WSAP) must address several key areas, including ensuring sustainable water supply, promoting efficient demand management, improving data management, and fostering coherent planning and budgeting.
Before formulating the WSAP, the following guidelines should be considered:
- Timeline: Decide whether the WSAP will be a three-year or five-year document.
- Level: Determine whether the plan will operate at the national level or be tailored to specific catchments.
- Protocol: Establish clear procedures for who can propose actions, who will approve them, who will monitor and review progress, and the timing for these activities.
- Focus: Decide whether to focus on water-scarce catchments specifically or include all catchments.
- Scope: Define the coverage areas, such as surface water, groundwater, environmental flows, agriculture, energy, settlements, industry, and commerce.
Key building blocks for the WSAP include:
- Current and future water scarcity context.
- Short-term and medium-term risk mapping.
- Forward-looking actions to address water scarcity, based on the identified short- and mid-term risks.
Participants representing various organizations provided feedback, emphasizing the importance of sharing data on related water programs across ministries and organizations. For instance, the Directorate of Watershed Management Planning and Supervision (P3DAS) could support the WSAP by sharing critical data on areas such as forest rehabilitation, spring locations, priority locations, and the water resilience index.
Session 4 – Thematic Working Groups (WG)
To effectively prepare the Water Scarcity Action Plan (WSAP), it is necessary to establish working groups composed of sub-directorate heads and technical staff. These groups will participate in workshops and discussions related to the WSAP's development. In alignment with the concept of water resource management, it is proposed that the working groups be organized around the following themes:
- WG for Sustainable Availability (Supply)
- WG for Efficient Demand
- WG for Improved Data Management
- Cross-Cutting WG
A plan for thematic Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) has been proposed:
- FGD 1 (All WGs): Current and future water scarcity context
- FGD 2 (Thematic WGs): Risk mapping
- FGD 3 (Thematic WGs): Identifying priority issues based on risk mapping
- FGD 4 (Thematic WGs): Identifying strategic actions to address risks
For the cross-cutting Focus Group Discussions, the following plan has been outlined:
- FGD 1: Regulatory gaps
- FGD 2: Institutional gaps
- FGD 3: Financial gaps
- FGD 4: Technological and infrastructure gaps
- FGD 5: Knowledge management and communication gaps
The meeting was concluded by the Director of Water Resources at the Ministry of National Development Planning, who expressed hope that all inputs and feedback would be considered and serve as valuable lessons learned. He emphasized that significant work remains to be done in Indonesia, including addressing groundwater management, balancing conservation efforts, promoting rainwater harvesting, and more. The NMT is expected to serve as a platform that unites relevant multi-stakeholders in safeguarding the management of water scarcity in Indonesia, ensuring the achievement of the country's water security goals.
For further information, please contact Mr. Fany Wedahuditama at fany@ws-indonesia.org or fany.wedahuditama@gwpsea.org.
The 2nd National Multidisciplinary Team (NMT) meeting is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Water Partnership and the United Nations Food and Agriculture.