Drought tightens grip across Indonesia
Weeks without rain threatens drinking water availability for thousands of households
Long-term solutions
While current efforts have focused on emergency water distribution, Bagas Yusuf Kausan, a researcher at water policy think tank Yayasan Amerta Air Indonesia, said Indonesia also needed long-term investment in water infrastructure, particularly in drought-prone areas with limited access to clean water.
"A longer-term solution for these areas is to provide affordable piped water services through regional water utilities. As a demonstration of the political commitment to drought-prone communities, those services should even be subsidized," he told The Jakarta Post.
Bagas said recurring drought impacts were not driven only by climate but also by environmental degradation caused by human activities, including land conversion and the depletion of groundwater reserves, which have left many regions increasingly vulnerable.
"The government should treat El Nino as an opportunity to tighten restrictions on land conversion, especially, but not limited to water catchment areas."
The concern echoes a report released by the United Nations Children's Fund in June, which found nearly all children worldwide are exposed to at least one climate hazard, including drought and extreme heat.
Indonesia, with a score of 7.5 out of 10, ranked among the countries with the highest numbers of children exposed to drought, driven by its vulnerability to heat stress near the equator and its reliance on agriculture for food security.
THE JAKARTA POST-XINHUA
