5 EFFORTS - MANAGEMENT ACTIONS

The administration in both Jakarta and Bandung realized that the degradation of groundwater detrimental to the resource itself and to the environment and should be stopped. Therefore, in both cities the local and central government made efforts to solve the problems in order to restore groundwater.

These efforts in both cities were in part successful and produced a rise in the piezometric heads (1.1 - 3.6 m in 1995/1996). Although the rise of the water level throughout these cities is still low, those efforts seem to be in right direction.

Specific actions that were initiated were as follows :

1. Reducing abstraction by substitution with surface water.

The local government of Jakarta boosted the capacity of the municipal water supply by using more surface water. By the year 2019 the quantity of groundwater consumed will be half the current abstraction, while the population serviced by piped water supply will be increased 50%.

The groundwater abstraction in North Jakarta has stopped increasing since 1990, and new abstraction in this area is prohibited.

In Greater Bandung, new abstraction of groundwater for industries has been banned since 1993 in an area of 200 km² within the basin. The local government plan to relocate industries close to Saguling dam in west part of the basin, where they will be supplied by surface water.

2. Strengthening coordination and integration among related agencies.

Central government and the local governments in the cities of Jakarta and Bandung are trying to strengthen coordination and integration of groundwater management by more frequent meetings. All aspects of management including planning, organizing and controlling (as shown on Figure 1) are discussed and involve all sectors that use water.

3. Educating the people or groundwater user to conserve water and obey the regulation.

Conservation of water has been declared as a national programme. The people are encouraged not to pollute water nor to treat water carelessly but as God’s gift. Water has an economic value and should be used for the benefit of the whole population.

People need to be taught that replenishment of groundwater requires time, often hundreds, if not thousands of years. Therefore, groundwater may not be a ‘renewable’ resources when compared with a man’s lifespan. With this understanding it hoped that people will treat and use groundwater wisely to pass on the legacy to the next generation.

4. Conducting law enforcement consistantly.

Any violation of groundwater regulations, especially the excessive or illegal abstraction, must be penalized.

5. To consider groundwater resources into spatial planning.

Both cities have begun to consider the occurrence and condition of groundwater resources in their regional planning. Local authorities include the groundwater resources into spatial planning, for example, any land-use which might need a new groundwater supply can be rejected at an early stage where water resources are scarce.

Further, in both cities, building permit are only granted where a shallow recharge well is included within the plans.

This page hosted by   Get your own Free Home Page