Future proofing a basic social service: climate-resilient community-based rural water supply

Indonesia outside Kupang - people using a third world water tap

This project aims to provide innovative tools, capacity, and policy recommendations to improve the climate resilience and inclusiveness of rural water systems in Indonesia, including their related water resources. Using mixed-methods, the project will strengthen this basic service and its gender equality, disability and social inclusion-responsiveness, towards future-proofing rural water services in the face of climate change impacts. Specifically, the research aims to:

produce a country climate risk-profile for rural water supply in Indonesia to inform national level vulnerability assessment of this sector
pilot a GEDSI-responsive, climate-resilient rural water supply monitoring and assessment procedure and test its feasibility for large-scale deployment by the national government, through their existing country-wide, community-based program (PAMSIMAS)
assess the vulnerability of PAMSIMAS rural water schemes in studied areas, with focus on GEDSI dynamics in water management and people served, and building local capacity for response as well as mechanisms for vulnerabilities to be addressed at higher levels of governance
review and provide recommendations for how local and national regulations and institutions can support sustained, inclusive, resilient rural water supply systems and respective water resources.

The project aims to address the following research questions:

At the country scale, to what extent are different rural water supply systems (of different types and locations, and different levels of women’s participation in development and management) at risk from climate change impacts?
How can a monitoring tool be deployed for large-scale monitoring of the climate resilience of rural water supply systems and to inform decision-makers about specific vulnerabilities (particularly GEDSI related) and responses at the local level (both district and village level) that help future-proof and ensure inclusiveness of water services?
What reforms in policy and regulation will support improved climate resilience, GEDSI and future-proofing of RWS/PAMSIMAS systems across Indonesia?

RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Community-based rural water supply: Indonesia country risk profile (2023) (Report)