World Water Forum – Indonesia’s motivation to improve clean water service

Just 21.69% of Indonesia’s population have accessed tap water services. (Photo: worldbank.org)

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia will take advantage of the 10th World Water Forum that the country slates to host in May next year to seek opportunities to improve clean water services.

Speaking at the first conference on Water Innovative Finance taking place recently in Jakarta, Firdaus Ali, Senior Advisor in Water Resources to Indonesia’s Minister of Public Works and Housing, said just 21.69% of the country’s population have accessed tap water services and that there is space for the private sector to join water resource management sector. 

Indonesia is facing challenges to meet the demand for clean and drink water in the country because of insufficient infrastructure. In localities, people still use drilled well water for daily use while in Jakarta, people have a dependent habit of using bottled water.

According to the Indonesian Central Statistics Office, in 2022, the coverage of clean water services in the capital reach 65.85% out of its population of more than 10.6 million people.

Under the Mid-Term National Development Plan 2020-2024, Indonesia aims to have 10 million clean water pipe connections to households. The work is estimated to cost 123.4 trillion rupiahs (more than 8 billion USD).

Meanwhile, it is expected that the state budget for the period 2020-2024 can only provide 17% (equivalent to about 21 trillion rupiahs), local budgets provide 13%, and the remaining 70% need to call for investment from different sources.

With such challenges, the 10th world water forum is expected to become a driving force and an opportunity to promote the development of clean water infrastructure for the Southeast Asian nation.   

World Water Council President Loic Fauchon emphasised that the main water-related problem that Southeast Asian countries are facing today is the large number of water resources that are not well managed. Besides, massive population growth is also a challenge to meet the demand for clean water, so the forum will be a place to create a driving force to promote cooperation for water management.

Indonesia will host the forum "Water of Shared Prosperity" from May 18-23, 2024. It is expected to contribute to responding to challenges posed by population growth, poverty, and urbanisation. The forum agenda focuses on efforts to save water, provide clean water and sanitation, food and energy security, and reduce natural disasters such as floods and droughts./.