Roh Santoso Budi Waspodo Hydrologist, Bogor Institute of Agriculture
The government should map out all water sources

Clean and potable water do not come easily to Indonesians. So far, according to the Mineral and Natural Resources Ministry, only 68.9 percent of the population have access to clean water while only 20 percent get potable water. Given the government's inability to provide water supply, the poor are usually the worst off. "To meet basic needs, the government is able to provide the poor with rice, but with water? No such program exists," Roh Santoso Budi Waspodo, 52, who teaches hydrology at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture's Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environment told Tempo English.

Roh is quite familiar with problems relating to clean water supply. In the 2000s, he initiated a clean water project in Banten. He assisted the Public Works Ministry to supply potable water in coastal areas and small islands from 2004 to 2005. Besides teaching, one of his activities is to map out water sources for a private company. According to Roh, there are alternative ways to access clean and potable water. "We should not be dependent on the state-run water supply company," he urged. Contributor Lina Wulandari interviewed Roh two weeks ago.

April 21, 2015