Poor water management could hamper the nation’s development and limit food production, UNESCO Jakarta office Director Hubert Gijzen said here on Saturday.
“Poor water management can hamper the progress of development, limit food production, cause suffering and damage the economy from water-related disasters,” Hubert Gijzen said.
Therefore, he added that various efforts should be made to promote sustainable water development and management.
Meanwhile, Public Works Ministry Director General for Water Resources Mochamad Amron said all people in Indonesia should participate in water management efforts on an ongoing basis to maintain the quality of the nation’s water.
“All parties in Indonesia should be committed to managing the water well,” Amron said, adding that safe water could be obtained from public pumps, water tanks or artesian wells, as well as protected water springs.
Besides Amron, Global Compact Network Indonesia President YW Junardy also said that water security was not only the responsibility of the government and individuals, but also the concern of business, as well.
“Therefore a Water Mandate Indonesia working group has been established to coordinate efforts in saving Indonesia’s water supplies,” Junrdy said.
On a separate occasion, Hendra Gunawan, the Managing Director Corporate Affairs and Communication Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP), said that as water mandate working group leader, he would act to protect the nation’s clean water.
“We are going to support the World Water Day 2012 campaign on ‘Water and Food Security’ with various activities related to protecting the nation’s clean water,” Hendra said.
