Water Supply and Sanitation in Indonesia - Access

Access

Source: Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation WHO/UNICEF

Data on access to water and sanitation in Indonesia vary significantly depending on the source consulted and the definition of access. According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation by WHO and UNICEF (see table above) access to an improved water source stood at 80% and access to improved sanitation at 52% in 2008. However, according to Indonesia's 2004 socio-economic survey (SUSENAS) only about 47% of the population has access to water from improved sources considered relatively safe. That includes 42% of the urban and 51% of the rural population. In the 8 years from 1994 to 2002, this figure increased by only 10% in rural areas and 9% in urban areas. At this rate, by 2015, only about 56% of the rural population can be expected to gain access to an improved water sources, when the MDG target for the whole country is 73%.

Indonesia has one of the lowest sewerage coverage levels in Asia with only 2 percent access in urban areas. Most excreta and wastewater are discharged untreated or semi-treated into local drains or water bodies, causing massive environmental pollution. Dense housing, severe seasonal flooding and the choking of drains with uncollected solid waste exacerbate the problem. According to the World Bank, urban sanitation is the least well addressed of major policy issues in Indonesia. In rural areas, access to improved sanitation has remained stagnant at around 38% since 1985 according to the Joint Monitoring Program. More than 40% of rural households use unsanitary open pits or defecate in fields, beaches and water bodies.