BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - Experts predicted that Indonesia will experience water scarcity by 2025. Head of the Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD), West Java, Wangsaatmaja Setiawan said, "The earth is composed of 97.5% water, but only 1% of the the water that is fresh. "The fresh water comes from rainfall that is deposited on the lake, lake, river, or groundwater basin. Indonesia is estimated to have a total water volume of 308 million cubic meters, he said.

"Based on these data Indonesia is a country rich in water availability," said Iwan. However, it is unfortunate the potential availability of clean water from year to year tends to decrease due to environmental pollution and damage to the watershed. Conditions worsened by climate change is beginning to feel the impact so as to make Indonesia flooded in the rainy season and drought in the dry season. Iwan added, "But on the other hand the tendency of water consumption rose exponentially as the growth of population."

West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, through the regional secretary said, "The availability of water needs to be balanced with good quality as well." Water quality is related to the feasibility of the use of water for various needs. As one of the catchment area, the use of the river as a water source can be done by reducing the level of pollutants as a result of domestic and industrial waste, he added.

"Seven watersheds (DAS) in the main West Java in a super critical condition," said Iwan. Need an integrated handling of the upstream to downstream government in West Java, in order to stream back into the function. "If this is achieved, it is expected water crisis could have been avoided," said Iwan

Efforts to Resolve Clean Water Crisis

Chairman of the World Water Day Seminar Day 2011 Dr. Arief Sudrajat explained, "The potential of West Java in particular, Indonesia is generally a water-rich country does not prevent Indonesia from clean water crisis." Whenever the dry season many areas experiencing drought and water when the rainy season arrives clean water crisis persists because of surplus water that often lead to flooding, so that water sources can not be utilized, he said.

"Therefore, one way to overcome this is through adaptation to climate change impacts to water resources management are right," said Arief. Results think together scientists, academics, community, bureaucrats and other office holders is expected to be able to overcome the problem inundated in Indonesia.

Arief explained, "To address the water crisis needs to be an effort to save the environment, including the rescue of water resources should be integrated and sustainable manner." In addition, the role of the community is very large, the easiest thing is to not dispose of household waste into the river . Without a concerted effort, it is impossible we can avoid the problems of water scarcity in Indonesia, Arief lid.

Clean water crisis is one of the topics in the World Water Day Seminar Day 2011 organized by the Environmental Engineering Department on Friday (03.27.11) at ITB East Hall. Mengahadirkan thirteen environmental experts, the seminar is to discuss the Integrated Water Resources Management and Sustainable Development in the Context of Global Climate Change Adaptation System.