Currently, the drinking water service coverage has reached 91.05 percent and improvement of sanitation access stands at 80.92 percent.Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has made water the main priority for development, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in an official statement issued on Friday.
"Currently, the Indonesian government has aligned the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the 2020–2024 National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) to realize 100-percent access to drinking water and sanitation," he expounded.
"Currently, the drinking water service coverage has reached 91.05 percent and improvement of sanitation access stands at 80.92 percent," he informed.
Indonesia's effort to provide access to drinking water and proper sanitation for everyone has encountered several major challenges.
These have included urbanization, climate change, water scarcity at certain times and locations, regional fiscal limitations, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has continued for more than three years.
To achieve the drinking water and sanitation target, the ministry has undertaken several acceleration efforts, which have included the development of drinking water provision infrastructure by utilizing 61 new dams to improve water service capacity.
Next, it has developed drinking water provision infrastructure to support national priority areas, such as the tourism area in Kalidendeng and Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, and the industrial area in Batang, Central Java.
The PUPR Ministry is also making an effort to improve human resource capacity in water supply management by developing the Special Masters Program in cooperation with a partner university.
It is also focusing on the integration of sanitation services by combining on-site and off-site systems or inclusive sanitation for all regions to ensure that the drinking water service can be accessed by everyone.
The ministry has so far managed to support the provision of drinking water and sanitation to 37 thousand villages spread across 408 districts and cities.
This has been achieved by involving the people in the Drinking Water Provision Program (Pamsimas) and Community-Based Sanitation (Sanimas) in the period from 2008 to 2022.
In response to the digital transformation and performance improvement in clean water provision of the regional tap water company (PDAM), the government has created several technological innovations.
These have included the implementation of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) as well as waste management technology through the conversion of waste to energy.
Lastly, to manage fund limitations, the ministry has also invited the participation of the private sector in the development of the Drinking Water Provision System (SPAM) through alternative funding such as public-private partnerships.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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