Innovation & Impact in Indonesia
Integrated water management action research in Indonesia
Plan International
Partnering with Yayasan Plan International Indonesia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute and Monash University
Innovation and Impact projects are contributing to ongoing research and development in Water for Women as a way of strengthening the use of new evidence, innovation and practice for inclusive, sustainable and resilient WASH.
Water for Women is partnering with Plan International Australia on the project, WASH and Beyond – Transforming Lives in Eastern Indonesia, which aims to benefit more than 556,400 people by December 2022, including the most marginalised in rural and urban areas of Manggarai district in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province and Sumbawa district in Nusa Tenggara Barat Province.
Target exceeded
A strong enabling environment for WASH delivery at the national level
has been created by the Indonesian Government, which put in place a
quality and evidence-based sanitation and hygiene policy - the STBM policy.
However, work remains to deliver this policy at the district and local levels,
particularly in remote and rural areas of Indonesia.
Through the WASH and Beyond project delivery, partners have noted increasing water scarcity in the Sumbawa district, with extreme climate variability, natural disasters, and rapid water resource depletion in most district watersheds. Additionally, there have been rising water demands from improved sanitation and hygiene (STBM) practice, changing livelihoods and for food security, for example.
Since the early 2000s, the Government of Indonesia has sought to adopt IWM, however it has not yet been optimally operationalised in Sumbawa. Through this Innovation and Impact project, partners are undertaking action research and introducing IWM to the Sumbawa district government.
Integrated water management brings a system-wide approach to planning and management to maximise water benefits for the resilience of people, economies and the environment.
Monash Sustainable Development Institute’s IWM framework is underpinned by comprehensive evidence and good practice principles that can improve WASH policy and implementation in Sumbawa.
This action research is using the Indonesian national policy and Water for Women project experience to:
1. Revise the IWM framework with gender and social inclusion considerations to progress and embed inclusive and universal WASH access in Sumbawa.
2. Bring together stakeholders in a forum, including marginalised people, to co-develop and test an IWM agenda for the Sumbawa district.
This project maximises strong working relationships established with the government, organisations of persons with disabilities and women’s organisations to mainstream gender and social inclusion into STBM policy and practice.
This Innovation and Impact project is extending the impact of the WASH and Beyond project by supporting subnational government to situate STBM in the wider water and wastewater cycle, increasing multi-stakeholder coordination and WASH accountability to constituents.
As a contribution to sector evidence, the project is evolving the IWM framework to be gender and socially inclusive to lead to more equitable WASH outcomes.
See also
Voices at the table toolkit
The Australian aid program is investing in innovation and learning to deepen impact throughout Asia and the Pacific through the Innovation and Impact grants. By supporting partners to further their innovation and impact, we can not only improve WASH outcomes in this region, but also contribute to improved WASH policy and practice globally. Water for Women is proud to be partnering with Plan International Australia, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute and Monash University in Indonesia.
Ensuring that integrated water management is gender-inclusive can help transform urban health and wellbeing, and ensure no one is left behind / Monash University
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