Problem

Water insecurity is a major threat in many Indonesian cities, affecting economic stability, environmental quality, and the daily lives and livelihoods of communities. Many cities currently face a situation of severe interlinked water security challenges. They commonly face low access to safe sanitation and water services, declining ground and surface water availability and quality, persistent flooding, and, in some regions, dramatic land subsidence . Risks to health, safety, economic growth, and productivity are high. As a result of decentralisation, local governments in Indonesia have the authority to play a leading role in water planning and management. However, fragmented water governance and uncoordinated planning processes are hindering the identification and implementation of integrated solutions at the local level.

Opportunity

In partnership with the World Bank Jakarta, IPUR started a major effort to collaborate with central and local governments to collect, analyse and visualise data with maps on the different facets of water security. In doing so, valuable resources and viewpoints were collected and used in the development of a framework aimed at water policy, planning, and management for Indonesian cities and their surrounding regions. 

Intervention

Under the framework, Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM), all water sources, all stages of the water cycle, all uses of water, and the protection of the urban water environment are coordinated, taking into account local conditions and priorities. IUWM encompasses a framework – of law and regulation, governance and institutions, planning and implementation, and information management and financing – that supports the design and application of specific IUWM interventions and projects at appropriate scales.

A significant part in the development of the framework was a result of four interactive workshops to share and validate the data and recommendations with stakeholders including the Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs (Directorate General for Regional Administration) and clusters of local governments and water utilities. 

The frameworks can be accessed here and here. For more information about the project, click here.