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WATER,
WHO BELONGS TO?
By
R. Adek Artanti
 In
this year of 2003, Indonesia faces the threat of less
water. It does not only occur in the town that full of
buildings, skyscraper and settlements, but it also
occurs in the village areas that very closed to the
forest area.
Previously,
the forest was water catchments area. Anyway, at the
moment it does not run its function well because of
the deforestation such as illegal lodging, forest
conversion to monoculture farming and for public
facilities area.
It
is no wonder, then, the rainfall that could reach
2.799 mm per year was hard to find in dry season. On
the contrary, the rainfall comes to be disaster in the
rain season. It
happens because there are not enough strong roots of
the plants to keep the water in the land. The water
flows itself to the lower land without something that
keeps the flow. At
the end, nobody could avoid the flood in the rain
season, and the dried off in the dry season.
Legal
Draft of Water Source
The
current Water Source Legal Draft does not come by
accident. It passed through the process of research
and study of the previous Water Law (UU No. 11 Year
1974) and the water problems. The study and research
started from 1992.
About
10 years is not a short time to result a legal draft
as a basic law for public interest. Anyway, it is not
yet legalized as a law, it is found that some contents
of the draft tend to be an economical commodity which
gives big opportunity to the big investors and at the
same time put the society on the disadvantage
position.
What
might be middle and low class of society gain from
this draft when it is legalized as a law? As we could
see the fact that the change of the nature makes water
availability decrease in Java and Sumatera Islands and
at the same time, the access to the water tends to be
limited.
It
is not possible that at the end people will utilized
unhealthy water for their domestic usage such as for
taking bath, washing, toilet and for consuming.
Further, the quality of Indonesian health will go
lower because of the two reasons; the first is the low
quality of available water and the second is the
access of the water is limited.
Possible
Action Plan
In
1995, FAO stated that one of the basic rights of the
people is easy access and low price to the water and
sanitation. Therefore, what should be done is not only
to keep and preserve the water sources but also not to
limit the access to the water itself.
At the other hand, it is needed the every
possible action to utilize the water in effective ways
regarding the fact that it is hard to recover the
nature in a short time.
On
the other side, from now on, government should make
the policies based on the public interest and not for
small parts interest. The good will of the government
should also implemented in the development concepts
that empower the society and provide wide information
to the people.
For
the water case at the moment, other alternative could
be implemented is to process unhealthy water becomes
healthy so people can utilize it. Meanwhile the
alternative is implemented, the law enforcement to the
environment destroyer should be conducted. Finally, we
hope that all the efforts bring good result for all
parts especially for the people.
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