Water Crisis as a Global Issue and as an Issue in Indonesia (???

)
Abstract
Water crisis has been an issue in many places for many years. Water crisis is a global
problem now, especially when it comes to clean water. However, solving the water
crisis is not easy as the population always increasing and how we deal with it is
challenging. It requires some techniques to solve that problem. The principal objective
of this paper is to explain what the cause of the water crisis and the technique, which
can be used to solve the water crisis, like desalinization technology. This paper
discusses the body of literature, which has identified what the main cause of water
crisis and the technique used to solve it. Further work is required in management the
water and how the technique works also what the best solution for this problem.
Keywords
Water Scarcity - Groundwater - Desalinization Technology
Introduction
Water is our past. Water is our future. Without it, we cannot survive, and there
are no alternatives. Many people have likened the issue of water scarcity to our
current economic struggle over petroleum. Without petroleum, we cant drive our
cars, and maybe we have to walk to school or work. This is not the case for water, as
we are not dealing with simple inconveniences (as grandiose as they may be), we are
dealing with the issue of sustaining life itself.
The global lack of abundance of usable water is an issue that presents a
dangerous problem to our future. Ironically, only a small portion of our planet's water
is actually usable. Ninety-seven percent of the world's water is too salty for
consumption or agricultural use. Furthermore, much of the rest is held in ice caps or
other unattainable sources. This leaves approximately one percent of the global water
as liquid and fresh; ninety-eight percent of which is groundwater (Bouwer, 2). To put
things into perspective, adequate living standards in western and industrialized
countries require a renewable water supply of at least 2,000 cubic meters per person
per year, whereas 1,000 2,000 cubic meters per person per year designates water
stressed, and less than 500 cubic meters per person per year denotes water scarce

(Bouwer, 2). Currently there is approximately 7,000 cubic meters of renewable water
supply per person per year, providing seemingly ample water for a population size
three times the current size. However, this statistic fails to incorporate skewed
distribution as well as attainability issues.
The issue of distribution has been probed from nearly every angle, yet an
economically feasible solution has yet to be found. Current technology allows for the
desalination of ocean water, however, the technique is only viable for wealthy
coastline regions. The cost of converting saltwater into consumable water is often
higher than alternate brute force methods: the transportation of clean water in ships or
large plastic bags from water-abundant regions (Gleick, 2001). Keeping this in mind,
the remaining water becomes a limited and valuable resource that must be properly
managed in order to sustain the future of humanity.
This management becomes crucial once we look at the global distribution of
fresh water. As indicated in Figure 1, distribution is all but uniform. The majority of
Africa and many other countries south of the equator suffer from an insufficient water
supply, while water-rich countries such as the United States and Canada continue to
consume without concern. According to the World Bank, the United States alone uses
291.0 billion cubic meters of water for industrial purposes, 35.8 billion cubic meters
of water domestically, and 120.9 billion cubic meters of water for agricultural
purposes (Newton). Interestingly, this does not include water used for other purposes
such as the irrigation of golf courses and landscapes, or the recharging of groundwater
aquifers: which required more than 160 billion gallons of reclaimed water in
California alone (Gleick, 2001). On a global scale, more than one sixth of the world
population is deprived from clean drinking water. This is in part due to the increasing
deterioration of underground sources that supply water unsuitable for human
consumption in numerous areas of water-scarce regions (Al-Sofi, 1994). Moreover,
this lack of sanitation and purity leads to a host of health issues. And finally, the
availability of usable water presents an issue across the world. As water-abundant
nations realize their supply is a valuable, limited resource, many tensions and even
violence have, and continue to, rise. These tensions are seen on local, national, and
international levels. More than 50 countries on five continents may soon be facing
disputes over water rights (GPF, 2006).
All of these global issues aggregate to form a large-scale problem with
overwhelming future implications. The rate at which we are currently expending

water combined with surging populations leaves a future full of questions and a
present that demands action. If global water issues are not addressed today, future
sustainability will be greatly limited.
Discussion
By comparing the water renewal rate and usage rate, we notice that there is
currently a more than ample supply of renewable water to sustain the country.
Recreational uses aside, water demands are tied directly to industry, agriculture, and
domestic purposes. These three factors increase with population, which is constantly
increasing. For our first run, no used water is recycled. This is done to illustrate the
limitations of the water supply in the world- in light of increasing populations; there is
not enough water to sustain the world. The second run was augmented with a used
water-recycling rate of 70%, the efficiency of present day Israel, to show the
improvement on water sustainability. Our model clearly stresses the notion that water
is a limited resource and measures must be implemented in order to combat the longterm issues with water scarcity.
Also in Indonesia, water crisis is also a big issue. To give clearer image, lets
take East Nusa Tenggara and Jakarta as an example. East Nusa Tenggara, as we
usually called NTT, is a city and also where water crisis is still a big issue. Clean
water for daily uses is pretty hard to find in East Nusa Tenggara, especially in Kupang
and Manggarai. When it comes to dry season, clean water (also drinking water) is
hard to find in NTT. Here are details about water crisis in East Nusa Tenggara which
we took from tempo.co.
The continuing drop of clean water sources at 23 springs due to the dry season
could plunge Kupang city and district in East Nusa Tenggara into a deadly water
crisis. Up until yesterday, clean water sources have dropped by 20 percent compared
to regular conditions. "Water shortages could reach up to 50 percent during the peak
of the dry season from October to December this year. This condition is alarming
because this can cause the whole NTT province to rely only on rainfall as their source
of water," Klemens Man, head of the customer service department at local tap water
company Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM), told reporters in Kupang on
Thursday. This water shortage, Klemens added, is an indication that NTT is currently
experiencing a clean water crisis. "We will limit the supply of water to residential
homes if the water sources continue to decline," he said. A limited supply of water has

already been sent to a number of regions such as Penfui, Kelapa Lima and Tuak Daun
Merah. Water, derived from the Baumata spring in the forest, will only be supplied in
areas once a week.
Residents in a number of areas in East and West Manggarai, East Nusa
Tenggara (NTT), are still living without sources of clean water and many more still
lack safe drinking water. People in Ruan village, East Manggarai, for instance, have
been consuming water contaminated with livestock and chemical waste dumped from
farms, which then flowed into the Wae Santi River, village head Antonius Sarong
said. In 2004, a diarrhea outbreak claimed the lives of four people and this year, one
person has already died of the disease, Sarong told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. He
added that residents used water from the Wae Santi River to irrigate their fields and
provide water for their animals. Water from their farms is also channeled into the
river, so it is often contaminated by chemicals, such as fertilizer and pesticides. We
have repeatedly informed the East Manggarai administration of this issue, but to no
avail, Sarong said.
Residents in Ranakolong village are also facing a similar problem.
Ranakolong village head Paulus Ndoi said he was making efforts to overcome the
crisis and had discussed this issue with a neighboring village, with the hope of
channeling clean water to his village. People in Rana Loba village have to fetch
potable water from the Waelaku River, located tens of kilometers away. In the
afternoon, residents carrying various sized containers filled with water, waiting for
transportation near the Waelaku Bridge has become a common sight, a pastor of the
Sok parish, Ferdinandus Jampur, said. East Manggarai Deputy Regent Agas Andreas
said the regency administration was making strenuous efforts to meet the clean water
demands of the community. The NTT provincial administration has tried to channel
water from the Waewau River, which has a large volume, to Waelengga, capital of
Kota Komba district, Agas said.
Separately, tour operators in West Manggarai regency voiced their protests
over the local administrations limited efforts in addressing the water crisis, especially
in the regency capital of Labuan Bajo, where the Sail Komodo event will be held in
2013.
It is expected to draw many tourists as it is scheduled to be attended by
participants from 20 countries. West Manggarai regency secretary Rofinus Mbon
claimed that his office had taken some steps to tackle the crisis. The administration is

gradually overcoming the crisis, with drilling artesian wells in a number of points in
Labuan Bajo, as well as treating water in major rivers around the city, said Rofinus.
Jakarta is different from East Nusa Tenggara. Water crisis seems to not be a
problem in Jakarta, but that statement is wrong. Water crisis is also an issue in Jakarta.
Clean water is actually hard to find in Jakarta, just like in East Nusa Tenggara. So that
well said that Jakarta is actually facing clean water crisis.
Source from Antara News, Jakarta is facing a clean water crisis as the nations
demand for drinking water continues to surpass its supply said Indonesia Water
Institute Chairman Firdaus Ali. It is predicted that Jakarta will have a water deficit of
23,720 liters per second in 2015. The government shouldve started searching for new
water resources since it is only able to supply 2.2 percent of the clean water demands
of local residents. As for now, water resources which actually comes from Bogor,
Tangerang, Bekasi, and Depok; are not enough and government should try to develop
new water resources and infrastructures.
When the world is paying attention more on water crisis, flood is happening in
Jakarta instead. That means there is no water recycling in Jakarta. The recent flooding
in Jakarta should not have had such a severe impact had the citys authorities
anticipated the disaster, which occurs annually during rainy season. There are three
main aspects associated with the cause of flooding in Jakarta: global, regional and
local.
In the global aspect, Jakarta and all coastal cities in the world face a high
potential of flooding due to global warming. As a coastal city, Jakarta are facing a
serious threat of flooding as the sea level continues to rise due to the melting of polar
ice flows due to global warming.
From the regional point of view, Jakartas flooding resulted from large
amounts of water from upstream rivers in West Java that flowed across the capital.
Deforestation in the headwater regions because of development of farms, plantations
and housing has reduced rainwater absorption, sparking massive water flows to lower
areas and, hence, the flooding in Jakarta.
The third cause of Jakartas flooding is the local factor. Many urban experts
argue that the lack of open spaces and green areas in Jakarta is a source of the floods,
as rainwater cannot be absorbed by the ground surface. Being an urban area, the citys
ground surfaces are primarily covered by hard materials in the form of buildings,

roads, parking lots and other amenities. However, the main purpose of greening the
city is not to absorb rainwater, but rather to reduce its air temperature.
To avoid the flood, we can develop artificial lake as a water reservoir along
the West Java border outside Jakarta to take the brunt of the overflowing river for the
regional aspect. For the local aspect, we can build more green areas. Vegetation also
needs to be increased to extend the absorption area. Not only avoiding the flood,
greening areas also can absorb carbon dioxide and make the air cooler. Also we need
to construct an integrated drainage system, which is the key to overcoming Jakartas
floods.
As said above, the government should take an action to stop the flooding in
Jakarta and take more attention to the clean water crisis. But also, government should
find new technology to recycle water from flood if needed. (kalau ga perlu apus aja
ya)
Implication
Although water scarcity is definitely an issue we are dealing with today, it has
farther-reaching implications in the future. The world is currently experiencing
surging populations, especially throughout the developing world, which are
intensifying pressures on our limited water supply. Figures 5 and 6 predict and
demonstrate future scarcity effects given population increase. They show very large
proportions of global population and land being impacted by scarcity. Not only are
growing populations a problem, but global water supply is also shrinking. Specifically
in India, China, and arid regions of the U.S., groundwater aquifers are being pumped
at a rate greater than it can naturally be replenished (Gleick, 2001). These overall
scarcity issues are triggering a cascade of more specific problems in many areas of
life, especially health care and the environment.
With water supplies dwindling in arid regions such as Africa, poverty-stricken
families are forced to drink water unfit for consumption. This impure water is a haven
for countless hydro-transmitted diseases. These preventable water-related diseases kill
an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children every day. This statistic does not include the
millions of people in Bangladesh and India who drink water contaminated with
arsenic (Gleick, 2001). These consequences seem easily preventable, but with the

current water situation they are not. The statistics and numbers will continue to grow
unless a solution is implemented.
Meanwhile, the environment is feeling the effects of scarcity as well. As
population has increased, there has been a greater need for dams and reservoirs to
both provide water and land for habitation. Although it must have seemed like a good
idea at the time, the construction of these dams and reservoirs has greatly altered
many of Earths natural ecosystems for the worse. Over 20% of all freshwater fish
species are now threatened or endangered, primarily due to the modification of natural
river and lake systems. In the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the Northwestern United
States, 95% of juvenile salmon trying to reach the ocean dont survive passage
through the numerous dams and reservoirs (Gleick, 2001). Adding to the effects of
dams are the effects of irrigation systems in many arid regions. The Aral sea in Asia is
disappearing due to inflowing rivers drained for irrigation. Twenty-four species of fish
in this sea are currently thought to be extinct (Gleick, 2001). If we cannot implement
preventative measures and restore natural ecosystems in the near future, we will risk
drastic losses to global biodiversity. We cannot ignore the future implications of water
scarcity any longer.
Solution
In order to make any improvements regarding the issue of water scarcity in our
world today, more than one solution is necessary. Although water scarcity is not a
substantial problem to every country currently, many countries feel the effects of
water scarcity and the issue must be addressed. If this issue is not dealt with soon, it
will become a problem for many other countries in the near future, some which are
already beginning to feel the effects. There are several actions that would be effective
in preserving and conserving water.
One possible solution is the use of desalinization technology. This system is
described as filtering salty water through membranes and removing the salt through
electro-dialysis and reverse osmosis. This procedure has worked for about 130 nations
in North Africa and the Middle East. With this system, these nations are currently
producing six billion gallons of usable water a day (Arrandale, 2002). Also, the
United States has a total of about 1,200 desalinating plants, most of which are in

modest-sized communities. Recently, however, the desalinization process has become

much more practical for metropolitan areas and reverse-osmosis systems have made
significant improvements.
Despite these improvements, only 2.3% of wastewater that is generated by
municipalities is currently being recycled and reused (Arrandale, 2002). If water were
saved by utilizing reclaimed water for irrigation in Tuscon, Arizona alone, 31,000
families could be supported from this amount (Arrandale 2002). These innovations
are also cost-effective. If Los Angeles County used reclaimed water instead of piping
the water into the county, 26 million dollars would be saved in piping costs alone
(Arrandale 2002). Globally implementing simple recycling and filtration systems
would be a relatively easy task that would reap outstanding benefits. Making these
global advancements would be a monetarily and environmentally friendly step in the
right direction towards the reduction of global water scarcity.
The task of conserving water can also be conquered on a smaller scale,
beginning with small improvements in individual homes. One solution is to develop
and mandate more efficient household water heaters. In old homes with poor
insulation, the time needed to heat up the water from a faucet or showerhead can often
be extensive. With heated pipes and better insulation throughout the system, this
wasted water would no longer be an issue as hot water would immediately pour from
the faucet. An example of a more efficiently insulated water heater is shown in Figure
7. If this improvement was mandated by the government and supported financially
where necessary, the benefits would be sizeable. In addition to conservation of water,
heating costs would also be lower. In particularly old homes, heating costs for the
entire house can be extremely high, especially in the winter. If this idea can be
advertised to homeowners as environmentally friendly as well as cost-effective, it
should have a very high support rate. Although this is only a minute progression
towards improving the issue of water scarcity, every achievable method towards
preventing this from becoming a large-scale problem is worthwhile.
Another solution to this problem, which tackles a different aspect of water
scarcity, is to compose new multinational treaties to specify water sharing. There are
currently a significant amount of treaties in effect regarding water, yet most of them
dont properly distribute. These ineffective treaties also cause apprehension between

nations. Disputes over shared water resources have also led to violence and even
international tension (Gleick, 2001). Currently, watersheds of 261 major rivers are
shared by two or more countries. These overlapping claims provoke disputes,
especially in recent years (Gleick, 2001). These new treaties would work towards
eliminating unequal distribution so that areas with plentiful water resources would not
be able to hoard them. Instead, the treaty would distribute the water according to the
aridity and need of the region to assure appropriate allocation. A new multinational
treaty would be exceedingly beneficial in resolving water disputes as well as reducing
tension and animosity between nations.
Plainly, more than one solution is necessary in order to reduce or solve the
issue of water scarcity that the world faces today. Any action, whether it may be
improving insulation of water heating systems within the home, or composing
multinational treaties, is important and must be taken into consideration. Our world
currently faces a dilemma regarding a limited water supply and if the issue continues
to progress without significant alterations, the consequences will be detrimental.
Conclusion
Water scarcity is a problem of the future. There are many concerns in the
world today, and water scarcity is currently in the backseat. Our world can only
address so many problems at a time, and we tend to put them off until the need to find
a solution becomes dire. All the research and projections we have found show that this
will indeed be a dire situation in as early as 20 years from now. Children are already
dying in large numbers in poverty-stricken regions due to preventable waterborne
illness, and the destruction of natural ecosystems is greatly reducing fresh water
biodiversity. These effects will continue to snowball until a viable global solution is
implemented. As the situation stands now, it is impossible to end with an answer, only
another question. What will your children drink?