Building an Integrated Water Resource Management System in West Java
Cimanuk-Cisanggarung River Basin in West Java, Indonesia
Partner Organizations
Overview
Development of water resources in Indonesia led to them achieving self-sufficiency for rice in 1985. Over the course of their initial National Development Plan, Indonesian irrigation systems flourished. However, the extensive investments in irrigation were separated by project type, leading to separate sector master plans for flood, irrigation, and water supply that caused issues for decades. During the 1992 Cisarua Seminar, the idea of implementing an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) policy was first introduced. It emphasized standardized river basin units, stakeholder participation, and sustainable water consumption. Rapid urbanization, increasing industrial water use, and climate change-induced flooding has illuminated the urgent need for an IWRM system.
his project aimed to establish an effective legal and institutional IWRM framework for the Cimanuk-Cisanggarung (CimanCis) River Basin. West Java faces acute stressors of increasing water needs for agriculture, domestic, and ecosystem use. The CimanCis Basin covers 8 regencies with over 17 million people. The basin also provides water supplies for Jakarta’s urban and surrounding agro-industrial areas. Before this project, IWRM implementation efforts were extremely fragmented, and water resource conflicts between upstream and downstream districts were steadily increasing in frequency. This project was designed to support the alignment of an IWRM system with Indonesia’s national water law (No. 17/2019) and synergize basin-level planning with regional development goals.
Activities and Methods
This project assessed the compatibility of regional regulations with Law No. 17/2019 on River Basin Management. We identified inconsistencies in planning mandates, overlaps, and unclear stakeholder roles. The project engaged over 50 stakeholder institutions, all of which were included in the process of mapping formal and informal decision-making power across vertical and horizontal levels. This was achieved through creating a stakeholder matrix that mapped out the institutional mandates, formal authority, budget control, and implementation power across all levels of government. We facilitated 3 basin-level workshops with over 120 participants including local farmers' unions and civil societies.
The project recommended a spatial alignment of water and land-use planning processes, especially through regional development plans. Support for the integration of the IWRM Master Plan with multiple regions helped to align flood mitigation, irrigation development, and drinking water goals with financial planning cycles. Additionally, we collaborated with the provincial disaster agency to embed a flood early warning system into the water infrastructure planning of vulnerable areas like Indramayu. We also facilitated working groups between upstream and downstream districts, creating a conflict mediation protocol to support future collaboration. We drafted an institutional roadmap to strengthen the River Basin Council, laying out the frameworks for coordination and accountability. The project proposed the establishment of a Basin Secretariat Unit, an office that would ensure year-round alignment and policy follow-through. Finally, we ensured the mainstreaming of women’s empowerment by mandating at least 30% female participation in consultations. The project also assessed women’s access to water-related decision forums.
Results
Five local regulations were reviewed and realigned with the national IWRM principals. The project developed a framework for institutionalizing basin-level planning with regional policy cycles. In terms of governance improvements, the River Basin Council operations were strengthened through the clarification of decision-making roles, and the introduction of conflict resolution measures. The River Basin Council saw a 35% increase in institutional participation by 2023, including new involvements from women groups.
The basin-wide flood response plan was adopted by the West Java Provincial Government, and a draft integration protocol was approved for water management goals for 2024-2029. The CimanCis model used in the pilot is now being considered to scale for other Indonesian basins, including the Brantas and Citarum basins.