5 assessments of the Jokowi-era dam program

Prabowo-Gibran, whose candidacy for president and vice president has sparked controversy, will start work on October 20, 2024.

To protect their government, we have published a special edition of #PantauPrabowo which contains important questions resulting from our mapping with the TCID author network. This edition also evaluates the 10 years of Joko Widodo's government and prepares Prabowo-Gibran for office.

President Joko Widodo chose construction of reservoirs and dams as one of its priority programs to overcome drinking water crisis for communities and agricultural land.

In ten years, his government had developed 53 dams. This earned Jokowi his nickname King of the dam for the construction of more of this infrastructure by the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

However, even though the dams are expected to reduce the water crisis in the regions, they are still far from expectations. In some cases, dams add new problems.

As a researcher in the field of water resources, here are the results of my study on the implementation of dam programs (existing and new) as the main supplier of drinking water in several regions of the country.

1. Dams trigger social conflicts

In Kupang regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), the construction of Raknamo Dam actually sparked a conflict between farmers water distribution deemed unfair. Before the dam, there was virtually no conflict. This is because farmers grow rice using existing water.

The dam should be able to withstand the rice planting period. However, in reality, farmers whose fields are far from the dam do not benefit from sufficient water supply.

This situation shows that the mere presence of dam infrastructure is not enough to resolve the water crisis facing society.

Read more: Fight for water in IKN and its surroundings: how to manage it more equitably?

The presence of a dam also changes the landscape of water flow in an area. This impacts communities that rely on an ecosystem's water supply, for example from rivers.

Look at the Sepaku-Semoi Dam in East Kalimantan, which is the main water supplier to the Indonesian capital (IKN). For example, deny community access to water from the Sepaku River upstream for irrigation purposes. Usually, even if the water is dry, residents can still use water from the Sepaku River.

2. Dams harm the environment

Real dam be a national strategic project (PSN) with an investment reaching Rp2.06 trillion. Residents of Wadas village who live around the dam consider andesite mining as a material for the construction of the dam. damaged 28 water sources and made their agricultural lands unproductive.

Read more: Ecospirituality sparks fierce opposition from Wadas residents to andesite mining

The construction of a hydroelectric power station using the Batang Boru Dam is also bearing fruit. against. This development causes a fragmentation of the landscape which limits the movements and access of Tapanuli orangutans to food sources. In addition, because of the dam, the orangutans, of which there are only 800, will be limited in their mating activities. The result is as follows disrupt conservation efforts.

The construction of this dam became international spotlight. China Electrical Construction Group Ltd (PowerChina)the company that built the dam, was blacklisted from investments by Global Norwegian Government Pension Fund or GPFG.

3. Support infrastructure is not ready

Advanced infrastructure, such as pipe networks and canals to distribute water from dams to areas that need it, is often inadequate. This reduces the effectiveness of the dam because residents cannot directly use the water from the dam.

For example, residents around the dam Napun GeteNTT is experiencing a drinking water crisis, even though the infrastructure has been operational since 2021. Difficulties arise because the pipeline infrastructure does not yet reach the hamlets whose relief is higher than the dam.

The crisis arose because the price of water there was too high and access was too far. Residents have to spend IDR 500,000 to fill a 5,000 liter water tank.

Read more: The many environmental downsides of dam building in Indonesia and how to overcome them

On the other hand, those without money have to travel long distances in steep and steep conditions. This means they can only carry 10-20 liters of water. This happens to people in Natarita Hamlet, East Nusa Tenggara. This hamlet is just five kilometers from the Napun Gete Dam which will be operational in 2021.

The inhabitants of the hamlet of Natarita have indeed experienced difficulties accessing water for decades. In the 2000s, residents said the government had built a reservoir, but it couldn't hold the water.

4. The dam is leaking

Case the dam is leaking becomes a serious problem that harms the communities located around the dam area. Leaks in dams can cause considerable damage, ranging from flash flood in residential areas like Sukabumi in January 2024, drought hundreds of hectares of productive rice fields in Jambi by July 2024.

Leaks also eliminate clean water supply which should be distributed for daily needs, as in Aceh in January 2020, and END in January 2013.

In many cases, this leak occurs due to factors dam construction which is not optimal, lack of maintenance periodically, or geological changes which is unpredictable.

The government needs to make a comprehensive assessment to overcome this problem. Inspections can range from regularly monitoring dam structures and materials to improving early detection systems to monitor potential leaks.

Additionally, it is important for governments and dam managers to ensure that effective emergency management procedures are in place. The hope is that in the event of a leak, authorities can evacuate the community to reduce losses.

5. Lack of complete maintenance

Evaluation of dam maintenance very important. Poorly maintained infrastructure makes early detection of damage less than optimal, thereby endangering the long-term operation of the dam.

This case occurred in Kasang II Sikayan Irrigation Dam in the village of Balai Gadang was damaged. Lack of dam maintenance and heavy rainfall followed by extreme climate change exacerbate negative impacts. A total of 247 people were evacuated because the flood occurred with a height of 50 to 150 cm.

Underground river dam Bribin II in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, It was also damaged in 2017 due to storm Cempaka. The storm disrupted the hydraulic pumping of water that was supposed to bring water to the surface. As a result, the dam's effectiveness in providing drinking water to local residents is significantly reduced.

From Bangli, Bali, as many as three dams, Tingkad Batu, Yeh Badung and Tungak Alas, were damaged, reducing water supply for agriculture in Bangli.

Thoughts on the dam program

From these examples, we can conclude that the success of a dam in meeting the community's drinking water and irrigation needs is not only determined by its physical construction and initial design.

Optimization of dam operation is highly dependent on readiness and complete maintenance of supporting infrastructuresfrom water distribution networks, pumps to irrigation canals.

If these aspects are not prioritized in planning and budgeting, the effectiveness of the dam will be reduced and the long-term benefits will not be optimally felt by the community.

This highlights its importance integrated maintenance frameworkwhich includes not only routine inspections and repairs, but also mitigation mechanisms for disaster risks such as flooding and extreme weather conditions. The aim is to ensure the continued operation and resilience of dam infrastructure in Indonesia.

The government should not only focus on building new dams, but also pay special attention to the maintenance of existing dams. Dams built many years ago face the risk of deteriorating structural quality, sedimentation that reduces water storage capacity, and the threat of leaks that can endanger local communities.

Existing dams and new dams from the Jokowi era still require many assessments. Prabowo's government should integrate various recommended solutions with a non-structural approach directly to the community, which uses appropriate technology so that it can be maintained independently or through incentive assistance from the government.