Urban–Rural Interrelations in Water Resource Management: Problems and Factors Affecting the Sustainability of the Drinking Water Supply in the City of Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

Urban areas in Indonesia frequently rely on the water supply from rural areas located outside their administrative boundaries. This urban–rural interrelation through water resources and the problems related to sustainability of the supply apply to the Indonesian city of Bandung, where the demand is increasing for clean water for daily needs. This provincial capital relies on water supplies generated in catchment areas located in different towns and districts outside the city. A multidisciplinary study was carried out to elucidate the present and future conditions of the water supply for Bandung as well as factors affecting the sustainability of that supply. This study demonstrates that the present situation in the catchment areas is a cause for concern, and environmental conditions are worsening in some parts of the catchment. Among the measures adopted to deal with the current problems are reforestation and land conservation; however, other essential factors relating to agricultural practices and efficient water use have not been properly considered. A conceptual plan needs to be implemented at the landscape level—a plan that takes into account both biophysical and social aspects of the area where the rehabilitation program for maintaining sustainability of the water supply will be carried out.