Climate change poses a serious challenge to the availability of clean water in Indonesia, especially in the context of community-based water supply and sanitation or PAMSIMAS. To address this challenge, the Faculty of Engineering of the Universitas Indonesia (FTUI), the University of Technology Sydney-Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF), the Center for Regulation Policy and Governance (CRPG), and Gadjah Mada University (UGM) collaborated through the Australian and Indonesian Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Collaboration (KONEKSI) program in a National Audience held at the Oria Hotel in Central Jakarta on September 19, 2023.
The event titled “Future Proofing a Basic Social Service: Climate-Resilient Community-Based Rural Water Supply” was supported by the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), and attended by representatives from various government and international institutions.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Nur Aisyah Nasution from the Directorate of Housing and Settlement of the Ministry of PPN/BAPPENAS highlighted the importance of integrating climate change into PAMSIMAS planning. Professor Juliet Willetts, Chief Researcher and Research Director at UTS-ISF, Australia, presented the KONEKSI research which focuses on the relationship between climate change and PAMSIMAS systems. The Community-Based Infrastructure Activity Team explained the PAMSIMAS System Information Management (PAMSIMAS MIS) and RWS Climate Risk Mapping.
A discussion session led by Dr. Cindy Rianti Priadi, S.T., M.Sc., Chairperson of the FTUI Environmental Engineering Study Program, allowed participants to exchange ideas and share views on climate change and climate resilience in the context of PAMSIMAS.
The National Audience also involved a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) that divided participants into two sessions. The first session discussed Risk Perception, Adaptation Planning, Capacity, and Disaster Management, while the second session evaluated the Draft Climate Resilient Rural Water Supply Monitoring and Evaluation Tool (RWS-MAT).
Dr. Mohamad Mova Al’Afghani Ph.D from CRPG revealed that “The issue of climate change has not been a factor considered when PAMSIMAS was initiated. With the increasingly real threat of climate change, it is necessary to map the capacity, threats, risks, disaster management, and integration of adaptation in the planning and existing conditions of PAMSIMAS, so that PAMSIMAS can be resilient to climate change.”
The Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU. welcomed this collaborative initiative in supporting a more climate-resilient PAMSIMAS system. “In the era of climate change uncertainty, efforts like this become very relevant and urgent. This KONEKSI initiative is tangible proof of our commitment to improving Indonesian people’s access to safe clean water, especially in remote villages.”
Prof. Heri also emphasized the important role of research and innovation in addressing the challenges of climate change, and how cross-border collaboration can bring positive impacts to society. “We are confident that the results of this research will provide valuable guidance to governments, institutions and communities in improving the climate resilience of the PAMSIMAS system. I hope collaborations like this will continue to grow and produce sustainable solutions to increasingly pressing environmental challenges. We are committed to continue supporting efforts that lead to sustainable development and the welfare of the Indonesian people,” he said.
The results of this National Hearing will help the research team to refine the climate-resilient PAMSIMAS monitoring and evaluation tool. Furthermore, this tool will be tested in more than 80 PAMSIMAS in various regions in Indonesia. In 2024, another National Hearing will be held to disseminate this tool and recommendations for regulations that can support PAMSIMAS in Indonesia to be more climate resilient and inclusive.
With synergy and collaboration, strengthened guidelines, increased capacity of the Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Management Group (KPSPAMS), and simple monitoring and evaluation tools, hopefully, Indonesia can achieve sustainable community-based clean water provision in the face of increasingly evident climate change.
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Public Communication Bureau
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia