AidEnvironment Part of Consortium to Address Water Challenges in the Welang Watershed, Indonesia

The Government of Indonesia, through East Java Province, and the Government of the Netherlands continue their collaboration in the Welang watershed, East Indonesia. Per a process of co-creation, the organisations aim to facilitate a multi-stakeholder approach to tackle the water challenges in the Welang watershed, identify sustainable solutions and make a significant impact to water safety and water security. This project is financed by Partners for Water under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Netherlands and Indonesian government.

Rapid urban and economic developments in the Welang watershed create a wide range of water challenges: erosion on slopes, sedimentation in rivers, urban flooding and water distribution issues are just a few of the challenges in this watershed. During the first project phase (Nov 2020 – March 2022) a Dutch-Indonesian consortium analysed the key challenges in the watershed and formulated the Welang River Basin Management and Master Plan.

As many stakeholders are involved in both the problems and the solutions, the second project phase will take a multi-stakeholder approach by following three guiding principles:

• Achieving practical co-creation results which fit in the Indonesian water framework.
• Creating replicable solutions without substantial external support.
• Fostering an environment with mobilised local resources for joint solutions.

The project will be executed by a Netherlands-Indonesian consortium consisting of three organisations. Witteveen + Bos will provide overall management and expertise in hydraulic modeling and interventions. Nuffic Neso will ensure institutional anchoring of co-created solutions and the student involvement, while AidEnvironment will organize community participation and agricultural solutions.

Spanning from September 2023 to July 2024, the project will encompass three phases: inception, co-creation and design, and roadmap development. By engaging stakeholders, communities, and trusted advisors, the partners will develop tailored solutions validated by the local communities and stakeholders.

This partnership signifies a concerted effort to address water challenges in Indonesia through collaborative and sustainable approaches.

The project receives financial support from the Partners for Water program. Partners for Water is a program of the Government of the Netherlands that works on water challenges worldwide. This is done through long-lasting cooperation with local partners and the Dutch water sector. The program stimulates knowledge sharing, innovations, and an integrated working method. In this way it creates an impact in the field of water safety and water security for people, plants, and animals.

For more info, please contact: Mirjam Pruijssen.