Water Governance, Collaboration is Not Enough

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At the opening of the 2024 World Water Forum in Bali, President Joko Widodo conveyed the importance of water governance for human life. Water is a source of livelihood for humanity if managed well, is related to prosperity, even peace.

On the other hand, if managed poorly, it can bring about disasters. Therefore, the urgency of collaboration from various parties in water management is emphasized. What kind of collaboration is needed is the concern of a forum attended by many world figures who are deeply concerned about water issues.

The character of water, in terms of its source - especially from within the earth - although local in nature, its impact, benefits, and human interests are not only local.

As an example, groundwater from certain households, even though its use is very personal, has wide-ranging impacts because the extraction of water from the ground will reduce the surrounding land's carrying capacity. Moreover, especially if the utilization is carried out collectively.

Also read: Managing Water as a Source of Life

Likewise, the river water flow is needed for agricultural purposes. Some farming systems use rainwater harvesting, but this has become a joint concern among farmers who want to increase their agricultural production.

A more urgent and future example is clean water to survive as a source of drinking water and others. Water like this is even managed from government-owned companies to private companies.

The need for drinking water continues to increase. Here, the carrying capacity of the environment is the threshold for how water for this purpose is managed.

Comprehensive water management is crucial for various human needs related to water. That is why, since the founding fathers of the nation, it has been regulated in the constitution that water must be controlled by the state. Water resources are local, but the state must manage them because of their broad impact.

The vast issue of water is indeed appropriate to be tackled with collaboration. Collaboration is a platform for various parties with interests to come together to find common ground on activities that must be decided together and done together to achieve those shared interests.

The character of collaboration is above coordination and cooperation (Anshell and Gash: 2010). However, collaboration is similar to coordination and cooperation, with various parties involved still having significant autonomy.

Collaboration leads to the emergence of dominant and hegemonic parties as determinants of the course of collaboration. In relation to water, it is highly possible for capitalism to dominate, especially for the commercialization of drinking water segment. The interests of agriculture and social interests in water may be eroded by water for commercial purposes.

Water regime

In regards to the issue of water in the world, including Indonesia, it seems that collaboration is not enough. Water governance requires its own government above the system or pattern of collaboration. Water governance must be directed towards becoming its own regime, albeit still within the nation-state. Strong water governance is not easily impacted by capitalist interests.

The future governance of water in Indonesia must take the form of a water regime, namely a government dedicated to water affairs.

Water cannot be optimally managed by any local government in Indonesia due to administrative boundaries of autonomous regions. On the other hand, water also cannot be optimally managed in a centralized national approach because its sources are localized. Water governance must be strong in facing the impact of capitalism because there are many social interests at stake regarding water.

Water sources are local, but the state must manage them because the impact is very broad.

Water governance by forming a water government must consist of two organs. Firstly, the political organ which is the deliberative organ. Secondly, the administrative organ which consists of its own executive and bureaucracy. Throughout the Republic, water affairs will be managed by a water regime institution that is nationally under the President.

The deliberative institution can consist of water stakeholders at the local level plus representatives from the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) delegated by the President. National water issues will be controlled by the President with the assistance of the PUPR Ministry, but at the local level, it will be autonomously entrusted to this water regime institution. This water regime is not just one, but spread out as needed throughout the country.

The water regime is managed on a daily basis by executives elected by a democratic deliberative institution. These executives lead the bureaucracy at the local level whose administrative boundaries are not dependent on any autonomous regional boundaries but on the presence of local stakeholders. These stakeholders are parties interested in water in that region, which may include water users, private water producers, and others.

Also read: Managing Water for Life Sustainability

The finances for this water regime can be taken from the state budget and from its own sources through water management at the local level. Various legitimate financial sources that are regulated by applicable laws and regulations can be developed. Thus, what exists is not just collaboration, but a strong water governance regime itself so that prosperity and peace regarding water can be achieved both globally and in Indonesia.

Hopefully.

Irfan Ridwan Maksum, Permanent Professor of Public Administration, Chairman of the DeLOGO-FIA-UI Cluster/Study Center&

ARSIP FIA.UI.AC.ID

Irfan Ridwan Maksum