Nusa Dua, May 22, 2024 – Financing is the most important key to tackling the water crisis, disasters and climate change. For this reason, Indonesia emphasized the need for a budget to deal with water crises and disasters.

This message was emphasized by the Director of Water Resources Infrastructure Financing Implementation (Pelaksanaan Pembiayaan Infrastruktur Sumber Daya Air/PPISDA) of the Directorate General of Infrastructure Financing of the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH), Arvi Argyantoro, at the 10th World Water Forum Synthesis Session titled "Enhanced Funding to Cope with Water Crisis, Water Disasters and for Climate Resilience” at BNDCC, Nusa Dua, Bali, on Wednesday (5/22/2024).

In his presentation, Arvi Argyantoro explained that the financing systems put in place by developing and developed countries can serve as a reference and that financing planning is not only for coping with post-disaster conditions, but also for mitigating risks, developing appropriate strategies and establishing clear regulations.

Apart from this, he said that the government and the private sector must increase budgetary allocations to solve the various water problems at national and regional levels.

“In developing countries, including Indonesia, the role of supporting actors such as the Indonesia Environmental Fund is needed. In developed countries, for example, the Chinese government has allocated 139.3 billion US dollars for disaster relief. "In Japan, 98.3 percent of funding for disaster relief comes from central government subsidies," explains Arvi.

On the other hand, access to disaster relief funds is difficult for some countries, for example when it comes to grants amounting to 3 million US dollars from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) for developing countries.

This is due to a lack of human resources. To overcome this, supporting actors, monitoring and clear rules are needed to ensure transparency and efficient use of these resources.

“It requires working with different stakeholders with a diverse and comprehensive approach. The role that the Indonesian Environmental Fund has played can be a long-term solution for us," explains Arvi.

The synthesis session is part of the program of the 10th Thematic Process of the World Water Forum, where the coordinator of each session explains the outcomes of the meeting. There are six sub-themes that will be discussed as part of the Thematic Process, namely Water Security and Prosperity, Water for Humans and Nature, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Governance, Cooperation and Hydro Diplomacy, Sustainable Water Financing, and Knowledge and Innovation. (Ni Ketut Sudiani/Ayu Sulistyowati)