Strategic reformulation is necessary for watershed management in Indonesia.
“It is necessary to reformulate an effective watershed management strategy,” stated Dr. M. Saparis Soedarjanto, M.T., Director General of Watershed Management and Protected Forest, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, at UGM Faculty of Geography (10/24).
During the seminar on Coastal and Watershed Management, Saparis noted the current watershed management was too conventional. It only prioritized the forest aspect without considering its role from a broader perspective, which is watershed as resource systems.
Watersheds, he explained, must be set as a landscape system and a large concept of spatial planning. For this reason, the management of this area must not be distorted by other terminology. Moreover, it must also pay attention to global commitments and its important role in supporting sustainable development, food security, and pollution control.
Watershed management should be followed by regional development and able to mobilize regional growth centers.
“Environmental governance is a necessary aspect in formulating watershed management strategies and it must pay attention to social, economic, and political settings as an element of the sub-environment.”
Saparis said that there were some issues that caused failure in watershed management planning. One of them is because it is too focused on analyzing watersheds instead of the benefits of management.
Furthermore, it is also caused by documents that are too long and complex, inadequate assessment of local programs, and planning recommendations which are too broad. This is aggravated by inadequate regulations or needs that mandate the use of the plans.
Meanwhile, Dean of Geography UGM, Prof. Dr. Muh. Aris Marfai, M.Sc., said that coastal areas and watersheds are areas that are intensively used by humans. In fact, the scale of activities in both areas has increased over time.
“Therefore, it is important to study the possibility of implementing Integrated Coastal Water Management (ICMW),” he said.
The professor in Coastal Geomorphology and Disasters explained the concept of ICMW is the key to integrated environmental development in the economy and culture of watershed and coastal areas. River and coastal ecosystems support various socio-economic functions such as providing residential space and living resources, as well as absorbing wastes.