Jakarta, Kompasone.com - Defense University in collaboration with Indonesia Business Post Media held Water Security Seminar - Technology For Indonesia, in order to answer the threat of the water crisis in Indonesia. The seminar and exhibition was held on September 22 2023 with speakers from the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, the Chancellor of the Indonesian Defense University: Lieutenant General TNI Jonni Mahroza, Ph.D., international water experts, and bringing in more than 15 domestic and foreign companies. which has the latest and most advanced technology in water conservation and security.
Chancellor of the Indonesian Defense University: Lieutenant General TNI Jonni Mahroza, Ph.D. said the aim of holding this event was to broaden horizons and find solutions for achieving water resource security by using the most up-to-date technology that is appropriate to Indonesia's natural conditions for strong national defense.
Mahroza said that the seminar and exhibition related to Water Security Technology was a realization of the Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto's request to the Defense University to research and develop water resource technology to overcome the water crisis in Indonesia. "This seminar activity was a follow-up to the call of the Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto to the Indonesian Defense University on September 20 2022 to research water source technology to overcome the water crisis in Indonesia," he said on Thursday 21 September 2023.
Annelis Putri, founder and media director of Indonesia Business Post, said that in collaboration with UNHAN RI, they invited more than 15 companies and water security technology experts, both from within and outside the country. Annelis emphasized that the choice of these companies was based on the hopes of the Indonesian Minister of Defense and the Chancellor of UNHAN RI that their technology could support Indonesia's water management revolution and water security.
Water Security itself is the ability to ensure sustainable access to sufficient clean water for a good life, economic development and environmental protection. It also covers how to keep water clean, protection against water pollution and water-related disasters, and ecosystem preservation.
Water Security and Defense of the Republic of Indonesia
The clean water crisis is one of the most real threats that Indonesia and other countries around the world will face. Based on a report published by the United Nations (UN), it is projected that in 2025, the entire earth will experience a water crisis. The UN also estimates that by 2030, global freshwater demand will increase by around 40 percent higher than current availability, as a result of climate change, human activity and population growth. After Cape Town, which recently experienced a clean water crisis, eleven other cities are also threatened with the same thing, namely Sao Paulo, Bangalore, Beijing, Cairo, Jakarta, Moscow, Istanbul, Mexico City, London, Tokyo and Miami.
According to Mahroza, the condition of water security in Indonesia is currently heading towards a water crisis, marked by drought in Nusa Tenggara (NTT, NTB), Maluku, Java (Gunung Kidul), and flooding in DKI, Bandung and several other cities as a result. from climate change.
The impact of climate change is caused by environmental pollution, especially air pollution by CO2, NO3, and HSO2, which contribute to the greenhouse effect and acid rain. The greenhouse effect has a significant impact on increasing global temperatures, including sea water temperatures. This increase in sea temperature has triggered phenomena such as El Nino and La Nina storms, which have resulted in areas that are too wet and too dry.
Areas that are too wet result in high rainfall and flooding, while areas that are too dry cause drought and water shortages. This impact has a systemic effect that influences aspects of national defense and security, such as decreasing the availability of clean water, decreasing food, agricultural and industrial productivity, natural disasters, and other impacts that can be felt in various aspects of daily life. To provide a more detailed picture, these impacts can be illustrated as follows:
A. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxide pollutants that pollute the air have experienced a significant increase, increasing the greenhouse effect.
B. About 90% of the energy trapped in the earth's system by greenhouse gases is absorbed by the oceans, which then warm, resulting in sea level rise.
C. Marked changes in sea water temperatures have induced the emergence of La Niña storms and heat waves.
D. This increase in global warming results in large changes in regional average temperature and precipitation.
E. Storms such as La Nina, El Nino, and heat waves cause drought in some areas and cause flooding in other areas.
F. Plus, global climate change also has an impact on climate change in Indonesia.
G. Climate change has an impact on the availability of clean water, reduced agricultural productivity and food security, and even caused natural disasters.
The Importance of Water Security: Water Crises Weaken Societies, Cause Economic Losses, and Trigger Wars Between Countries
Climate change and the water crisis require effective handling to mitigate the negative impacts that arise. One and foremost is to increase water security throughout Indonesia. Currently, an even reduction in water availability is expected to occur on the islands of Java and Nusa Tenggara during the 2020-2045 projection period. In 2024, an average decrease in water availability was recorded by 439.21 m3 per capita per year on the island of Java and 1,098.08 m3 per capita per year in Nusa Tenggara. The negative economic impact in this sector is estimated to reach 27.9 trillion Rupiah.
Water security is also expected to be able to face the challenge of decreasing food security in Indonesia, such as rice production which is projected to fall by more than 25% (2020-2045) in various provinces such as North Kalimantan, Gorontalo, Maluku and North Maluku. On the islands of Java and Sumatra, which are centers of rice production, it is also estimated that there will be a decline of 10% to 17.5%. Increasing water security can help agriculture, including rice production, overcome the challenges of climate change and maintain food security in Indonesia. This is also very important to reduce the negative economic impact which is estimated to reach 77.9 trillion Rupiah due to the decline in rice production caused by climate change.
Apart from that, changes in temperature and rain patterns also increase the population of disease vectors such as dengue fever, malaria and pneumonia. Projections of potential economic losses in the health sector due to dengue fever alone are estimated to reach 31.3 trillion Rupiah from 2020 to 2024.
Based on the above, it can be concluded that climate change has a serious impact on the security of water resources. Therefore, appropriate mitigation measures are needed to strengthen the country's water security and prevent greater national losses. Therefore, discussions about Water Security are very important because the role of water security is vital in the context of a sustainable supply chain, in order to maintain the survival of the Indonesian Nation and State.
Human life and all living creatures, food security, health security, industry and so on are aspects that cannot be separated from the security of water resources. "The water crisis in the future could trigger war between countries, this is due to the vital value of water which affects all aspects of national and state life," said Mahroza.
Signing of MoU with French and Swedish Companies
In order to anticipate the coming water crisis, the Indonesian Defense University is collaborating with various domestic and foreign institutions and companies to develop water security in Indonesia. On this occasion, the Indonesian Defense University, represented by the Chancellor of the Indonesian Defense University: Lieutenant General TNI Jonni Mahroza, Ph.D. signed an MoU with three companies from France and Sweden, witnessed by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto. The three companies are Osmosun and Ellipse Projects from France, and Blue Water from Sweden.
❖ Water Access Program for Remote Islands: Osmosun, a French company, has technology that uses solar energy as the main power source for the water desalination process. Osmosun will collaborate with the Indonesian Defense University in implementing water access programs for remote islands, areas where it is difficult to obtain clean water supplies, as well as communities that do not have easy access to fresh water sources in Indonesia.
❖ Developing Water Resilience in Disaster Areas: Swedish company Blue Water has emergency water solutions specifically designed for emergency situations such as earthquakes, floods, fires or life-threatening conflicts. Blue Water signed an MoU with the Indonesian Defense University to collaborate to increase access to water for Indonesian people in areas affected by disaster or conflict. This solution allows emergency response teams to quickly gain access to pure, clean water, even from highly polluted water sources.
❖ Digital Research on Water Security: Ellipse projects, a French company, also signed an MoU with the Indonesian Defense University to carry out a joint digital research program on water security.
Indonesian companies Gapura Liqua Solutions, PAM Jaya MOYA Indonesia also participated to showcase their technology and expertise which offers advanced water purification technology to ensure a supply of quality clean water. Apart from the companies above, there are more than 10 companies in the water resources sector from within and outside the country, such as Danone Indonesia, Gapura Liqua Solutions and the Obor Tani Foundation from Indonesia, Imhotep Industries from Austria, Wilo from Germany, and also Via-Marina from France .
This event was also attended by water security expert panelists such as Firdaus Ali, expert staff for Water Resources at the Ministry of PUPR, Ali Berawi, Deputy for Green and Digital Transformation at the Archipelago Capital Authority (IKN), and Arief Nasrudin as President Director of PAM JAYA.
