The True Cost of Bottled Water
Globally, the price of bottled water may vary by only a few cents, but the true cost of this resource can vary by a lot more…
According to the UN, global water usage has grown exponentially – its rate of increase is double that of the population growth in the last century. This has put immense pressure on water sources, and as a result, many countries face the challenge of coping with the extensive demand for water. Lack of safe and clean water access then threatens children and families, placing them at risk of severe but preventable water-related diseases through no fault of their own.
Previously in the Water Crisis blog series, we spotlighted the Philippines. We talked about how the El Niño phenomenon is drying up the Angat Dam – which is the main source of clean and safe water for more than 13 million residents living in Metro Manila. If you missed our upload, click here to check it out!
Unfortunately, neighbouring countries such as Indonesia also face challenges with maintaining a sustainable supply of safe and clean water, but we’ll get into those details in just a moment.
Despite attaining the status of an upper-middle-income country, Indonesia’s upturn is still severely overshadowed by its water shortage issues. Today, about 24 million Indonesians are still deprived of a safe and improved water supply, and 38 million residents lack access to improved sanitation.
Furthermore, the number of Indonesians that lack access to safe water roughly reflects the estimated population that is still living under the poverty line, highlighting that these families may not even have the means to spend their income on water, as they simply can’t afford to. This situation is aggravated even further during drier seasons due to the surge in demand for clean water that also drives up the cost. During the dry season in Java, for instance, households can spend up to IDR 1,000,000 (US$71.10) on water from delivery trucks every month. The average monthly salary of Indonesians in 2019 was US$183, meaning they could be spending over a third of their income on water!
Today, we’ll be exploring why Indonesia’s water security is being threatened while also discussing the after-effects of climate-related disasters that are putting the lives of Indonesian citizens in grave danger.
Total number of natural disaster events recorded in Indonesia:2018
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On average, Indonesia experiences at least one major natural disaster each month. In 2020 alone, 2,059 natural disaster events were recorded between the month of January and September.However, this data excludes the months commonly known as the disaster season, November and December, which suggests that a higher total frequency of natural disaster events can be expected by the end of this year. |
Undoubtedly, these inescapable circumstances constantly put the lives of millions in danger. In the wake of a disaster, the destruction of water supplies and sanitation facilities requires urgent aid as quickly and efficiently as possible to protect survivors from the spread of communicable diseases.
When the second earthquake struck the island, the residents had yet to recover from the destruction caused by the 6.4-magnitude earthquake, resulting in more extensive infrastructural damage, and a long series of aftershocks that traumatised the locals even more.
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Image from Phys.org
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Groups providing relief aid also struggled to reach certain areas that were heavily affected by the earthquakes because of the piles of heavy debris everywhere, damaged jungle roads, and the risk of landslides.
In North Lombok regency, the PDAM piping network suffered the most damage, threatening the supply of clean water for the majority of the population, based on a survey conducted on the ground.
The description of the chaos in Lombok is similar to that following most other disasters in the region. With Indonesia’s vulnerability to the high frequency and intensity of natural disasters, residents have no choice but to be constantly prepared for any emergency situation in order to mitigate the consequences that might come with it.
The water supply in Java is simply not proportionate to the volume of water that they require to sustain the ever-growing population; Java only holds 10 percent of Indonesia’s water supplies. while it’s home to more than 60 percent of the Indonesian population. At the same time, climate change has played a major role in the decline of water supplies as Indonesia experiences longer and more extreme dry seasons.
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Image from Thejakartapost.com
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Image from Dreamstime.com
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During the dry seasons, local residents have no choice but to purchase water from delivery trucks that charge an excessive amount of money just to meet their basic needs. People living in low-income areas rely on agriculture and farming as their main source of income, however, during dry seasons, their income is jeopardised due to the decline in agricultural water supplies such as rainwater. |
Image from Telegraph.co.uk
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Another plausible solution is the proper enforcement of existing regulations, such as the prohibition of dumping waste into waterways. This is a vital measure to take as more than 80 percent of the Indonesian population heavily depends on their local sources such as rivers and groundwater. Moving forward, this can ensure a more sustainable supply of usable water.
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We’ve only touched on a few of the practical solutions that could help Indonesians develop a more sustainable and reliable supply of clean water, but there are many other strategies that could be implemented to protect vulnerable communities against the dangers of unsafe or unavailable drinking water. Despite not knowing when a disaster or dry season may strike, mitigation and preparedness measures can be strategically used to help decrease the negative impact of the natural catastrophes, therefore increasing water availability and decreasing the spread of infectious diseases.
By working to get these situations under control, Indonesian residents, especially those living under the poverty line, are presented with opportunities to break out of the poverty cycle despite the aggravating impacts of climate-related disasters.
Globally, the price of bottled water may vary by only a few cents, but the true cost of this resource can vary by a lot more…
When disaster strikes, basic human necessities such as clean water must be secured to prevent further loss of life. Read about how the first responders and humanitarian organisations globally carry out water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) programmes!
In this post, we share how Internet of Things (IoT) technology offers a more efficient and reliable water system all by leveraging internet access!