Anticipating Drought: Jakarta Regional Council Proposes Desalination of Seawater for Clean Water Supply

The Chairman of the Jakarta Regional Council (DPRD), Suhud Alynudin, has proposed that the Jakarta Provincial Government begin anticipating potential clean water shortages caused by drought by processing seawater into fresh water through desalination technology.

“Desalination, which converts seawater into fresh water, is already being utilised in the Thousand Islands. I believe this should also be implemented to anticipate the possibility of Jakarta facing clean water shortages,” Suhud stated at the Jakarta DPRD Building on Thursday.

Suhud believes that the potential for drought must be addressed seriously, as such conditions can persist for extended periods and impact community activities. Consequently, he requested that anticipatory measures be prepared by the Jakarta Provincial Government, including the utilisation of available water sources around Jakarta.

Suhud expressed hope that these steps would be taken well in advance, rather than waiting until Jakarta is already experiencing water scarcity. “It must be anticipated. Previously, there was an ‘alert’ level issued by the BPBD. I believe this must be taken seriously because drought is unavoidable and can be prolonged,” Suhud explained.

Previously, the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) issued an early warning of meteorological drought for several areas in Jakarta. Based on analysis from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), parts of Jakarta fell into the ‘Alert’ category for drought during the second ten-day period (Dasarian II) of 11–20 September 2024.

The five areas under this status include West Jakarta, Central Jakarta, East Jakarta, North Jakarta, and the Thousand Islands.