The lives of millions of people living in Indonesia are to be improved, following the recent announcement for the development and management of the country’s water resources.

The Citarum River is to receive a loan package of £340 million in support of numerous sanitation projects and the construction of waste treatment plants that will provide safe supplies of water to the population of 28 million.

Over the next 15 years, the project aims to supply water to a further 200,000 more households in Jakarta, increasing supplies by 2.5 per cent yearly. In the long term this will benefit millions by resolving the critical water shortage in Bandung, Indonesia’s fourth largest city.

‘The Citarum River basin urgently needs improved management and significant infrastructure investments,’ said Christopher Morris, a Senior Water Resources Engineer in ADB’s Southeast Asia Regional Department. ‘The assistance will bolster Indonesia’s efforts to pursue effective integrated water resources management in the basin.’

Rapid urbanisation, climate change and environmental degradation have all put significant pressure on the river, but with an integrated water resources management, all these factors will be addressed. A Water Council will be created to ensure that communities are effectively consulted and that local people are actively involved in the scheme.

This fantastic news also means that the country will be able to cultivate an additional 61,7000 acres of rice paddy that will benefit a further 25,000 farming families.

For further information
www​.adb​.org/​M​e​d​i​a​/​A​r​t​i​c​l​e​s​/​2​0​0​8​/​1​2​7​4​1​-​c​i​t​a​r​u​m​-​w​a​t​e​r​-​m​a​n​a​g​e​m​e​nt/

Photo courtesy of ADB