EU supports Bali irrigation and agricultural projects

EU supports Bali irrigation and agricultural projects

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Singaraja, North Bali

Ambassador/Head of the Delegation of the European Commission
Sabato Dela Monica and Bali Governor I Dewa Made Beratha
inaugurated an irrigation project worth 6.625 million Euro (Rp 58
billion) in several impoverished villages in Buleleng, North
Bali, and Karangasem in East Bali on Friday.

The project is the follow-up to the North Bali Ground Water
Irrigation and Water Supply Scheme, which was completed in l999.
It had to be redesigned, however, for a number of technical
reasons.

The first phase of the project, 15 ground water irrigation
systems, has already been completed and is now operational. For
the remaining 15 locations, the survey, investigation and design
(SID) stages have been completed and deep wells constructed.

The second-phase of the project will involve the construction
of piped irrigation distribution networks and pumping systems to
15 existing sub-project areas, and the rehabilitation and
upgrading of nine existing systems.

Governor Dewa Beratha expressed the hope that the projects
would benefit local people who are now living in dry and
infertile areas in northern and eastern parts of Bali.

"Bali is divided into two areas -- the rich and the poor
areas. In the southern part of the island, there are abundant
water resources as these areas have rivers and lakes, but in the
northern and eastern parts, people have to dig wells hundreds of
meters deep to get water for drinking and irrigation," he said.

It was hoped that the project would provide local people with
adequate water supplies for irrigation and daily needs, he said.

Buleleng regency is known as an agricultural area but due to
lack of water and irrigation, productivity has been low to date.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Dela Monica stressed that the project
reflected the European Union's strong commitment to helping
Indonesia in its efforts to reduce poverty.

The European Union had committed 6.125 million Euros in grant
aid, while the remaining 500,000 Euros had to be put up by the
Indonesian government.

The Ministry of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure will
carry out the projects, with the Bali provincial irrigation
service acting as the executory agency.

The project forms part of the strategy outlined in the
European Commission's Country Strategy Paper for Indonesia, which
provides the framework for the focus and targets of all European
Union assistance during the 2002-2006 period.

An sum of 216 million Euros has been earmarked for financing
the strategy for Indonesia, including the promotion of good
governance, health and education, sustainable management of
natural resources, poverty alleviation programs and women's
empowerment.

"The aim of the project is to empower the grass roots, to
introduce high income generating mixed farming systems through
the introduction of new high yielding crops; to increase the
involvement of female community members in agriculture and other
income-generating activities; and to enhance the professional
capacity of local irrigation and agricultural organizations," the
ambassador said.

During a site visit to one of the Tubewell User Groups (TUGs)
in Les village, around 45 kilometer east of Singaraja, Bali
governor Dewa Beratha accompanied an entourage of Ambassadors and
high-ranking diplomats from the European Union countries, which
included the ambassador of Greece Alexios Christopoulous,
ambassador of the Netherlands Ruud Treffers, ambassador of Spain
Damaso de Lario, ambassador/ head of the delegation of the
European Commission Sabata Dela Monica and other senior diplomats
from the embassies of Portugal, Finland and France.

"These projects are your's (the Indonesian people's), not the
European Union's. Therefore, the participation of all
stakeholders, including farmers and local communities, should be
encouraged," Ambassador Dela Monica told The Jakarta Post.