United States Announces Program to Strengthen Rural Water Supply and Services in Indonesia

Denpasar, Bali – Today at the World Water Forum in Bali, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the expansion of its Global Water Strategy Action Research Initiative to Indonesia.  In partnership with the Government of Indonesia, research conducted by USAID Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) will provide strategic guidance and inform best practices for rural water management through rigorous research and collaboration with policymakers, development partners, and service providers. 

“USAID is steadfastly committed to a more water-secure world for all, because water is fundamental to making development gains,” said USAID Global Water Coordinator Nancy Eslick. “USAID and the Government of Indonesia’s water partnerships are built on a foundation of strong governance and evidence-based investments which this research will build upon.”

The expansion is part of the USAID Global Water Strategy Action Research Initiative, a flagship investment in generating evidence that will drive improvements in the effectiveness of water security and sanitation programming and investments by USAID, partner governments, and other funders and practitioners.

USAID REAL-Water supports the Government of Indonesia’s policy directions (2025-2030) to provide rural water services and ensure ongoing functionality and sustainability of rural water services, financing, and institutional arrangements. Research under USAID REAL-Water will inform the implementation of Indonesia’s current large-scale community-based rural water supply flagship program, PAMSIMAS. 

“We highly appreciate the collaboration among the United States Government, the Government of Indonesia, UTS, UI, CRPG and UGM for this REAL-Water research. We anticipate that this study will offer substantial insights and field evidence, assisting us in enhancing and expediting access to safe drinking water for all, particularly in rural areas,” said Nur Aisyah Nasution, the National Coordinator of Drinking Water and Sanitation of the Ministry of National Development.

With the goal to improve ongoing sustainability and performance of water services, USAID REAL-Water’s research in Indonesia will focus on three themes identified during an in-depth consultation with key national ministries in 2023:  1) Improving water service providers’ financial and operational management – including strengthening economics of service and enhancing water safety through comprehensive risk assessments and risk management approaches encompassing all steps in a drinking water supply chain – from catchment to customers; 2) Strengthening water quality monitoring; and 3) Improving  planning for better water resources management.

USAID REAL-Water research is poised to contribute to PAMSIMAS’s successor PAMSSANIMAS (Community-based Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Solid Waste Systems or Penyediaan Air Minum, Sanitasi dan Persampahan Berbasis Masyarakat) as well as broader rural water policy directions. Program implementer Aquaya Institute will conduct research from 2024-2027 in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF), Universitas Indonesia (UI), Lembaga Teknologi Fakultas Teknik Universitas Indonesia (LEMTEK FTUI), Center for Regulation Policy and Governance (CRPG), and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).

Since its inception in 2021, USAID REAL-Water has expanded to 12 countries across Asia and Africa.  For more information on USAID REAL-Water in Indonesia, visit usaid.gov/Indonesia or contact USAID Development Outreach and Communications Specialist, Swiny Andina at +62 (21) 50831000 or sandina@usaid.gov.