Ahead of the Opening of the 10th WWF, Integrated Water Management Becomes an Important Issue
Bali – The 10th World Water Forum (WWF) event which will be held in Bali is a momentum for Indonesia to introduce integrated water management through various approaches to the international world. This is important because water issues are strategic amidst the phenomenon of climate change.
Climate change is a significant global threat, and its impacts are felt most acutely by island nations vulnerable to rising sea levels, tropical storms and other climate change phenomena.
Expert Staff to the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing for Technology, Industry and the Environment who is also Deputy Chair of the Secretariat of the 10th WWF National Committee, Endra S. Atmawidjaja said that Indonesia will introduce water management through a local wisdom approach to WWF participants.
“Indonesia’s success in encouraging water management through a local cultural approach can be a lesson for the global community. This practice involving all stakeholders proves that Indonesia is able to lead the world in facing the water crisis,” said Endra when met in Bali.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has projected that the world will experience a water crisis in 2050. This could result in a reduction in the supply of food produced by farmers.
For information, currently more than 500 million small-scale farmers produce 80 percent of food. Therefore, that many farmers will be the most vulnerable group if a water crisis occurs.
The worse impact is that the water crisis can trigger conflicts between regions and between countries. For example, between Iran and Afghanistan, the conflict has existed since the 1950s.
Both countries are in turmoil due to shrinking water supplies. This further strengthens cooperation in water management, especially in border areas and areas experiencing scarcity.
One of the water management systems in Bali, namely the Subak system, has been recognized by UNESCO as local wisdom. Apart from that, West Java has also demonstrated water management through mangroves in the Great Forest Park.
Endra added that these two examples of governance could be shown to world leaders and delegates and hoped that this forum could unite modalities and increase capacity in dealing with world water problems.
“Spirit World Water Forum in Bali is a multi-sector, multi-helix, multi-party, multi-nation and multi-nation collaboration in order to face and overcome the water crisis and global climate crisis together,” he concluded.
Later, Indonesia will also introduce innovations and initiatives that have been carried out in water management. Starting from the agricultural, mining, industrial and river basin management sectors. []
