Ahead of WWF, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry highlights the issue of water management in island countries

Jakarta - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) stated that discussions regarding the characteristics and strategies for maintaining water security in archipelagic countries will be one of the focuses at the 10th World Water Forum because they have different levels of complexity.  

When speaking as a discussion speaker in the context of the 32nd World Water Day at the PUPR Ministry Office in Jakarta, Monday, the Director of Planning and Supervision of Watershed Management (DAS) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, M. Saparis Soedarjanto, said that Indonesia is one of the countries with fairly high rainfall but still facing the issue of water scarcity.  

He explained that landscape configuration is an issue because there are differences between archipelagic countries like Indonesia with hills and mountains which cause water to end up in the sea, in contrast to continental countries on one continent which allow for storage.

"That's why, if I'm not mistaken, the concept note for the upcoming World Water Forum talks about small islands. So we have to raise this, we have to emphasize it. Why? Because water management on small islands is actually becoming more complicated and more risky, also related to resilience water," said Saparis.

Water management must also consider the landscape, where forest management or natural efforts are an important element in increasing water retention or storage capacity, especially upstream. Apart from that, water retention is also carried out by man-made efforts such as the construction of reservoirs and dams, he explained.

"The combination is important, man made and natural, this is important because there are certain natural conditions that can be a solution to water quality problems," he said.

Forest development encourages better water regulations, he explained, because it can improve water quality and ensure water supply for lakes and dams which are sources of water for communities.