NTB Government Partners with BRIN to Explore Nuclear Technology for Water Crisis
The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Government is partnering with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to address a clean water crisis that has plagued the southern regions of Lombok Island and Sumbawa Island for decades. This strategic collaboration will explore the use of nuclear technology for water resource exploration.
The initiative was discussed during a meeting between NTB Governor Lalu Muhammad Iqbal and BRIN Head Arif Satria in Jakarta on Monday (22/6/2026). During the meeting, Governor Iqbal requested that BRIN conduct research and mapping of underground rivers in the southern parts of Lombok and Sumbawa, areas that have not been optimally explored.
The idea to utilise this advanced technology stems from the governor’s international career background. Iqbal recounted his experience in 2011 dealing with nuclear technology for humanitarian purposes in the Middle East.
“In 2011, when I was deputy governor (representative) at the International Atomic Energy Agency, I presented to the international community the success of BATAN (before it merged into BRIN) in mapping underground river flows using nuclear technology, which was supported by the German government at the time,” Iqbal stated on Tuesday (23/6/2026).
This experience solidified Governor Iqbal’s resolve to collaborate with BRIN. He is optimistic that similar technology can provide a solution to the water crisis faced by residents in the southern coastal areas of NTB.
“To help us find solutions for our communities who have been experiencing difficulties in accessing clean water for decades, especially in the southern coastal areas of Lombok Island and Sumbawa Island,” Iqbal added.
BRIN Head Arif Satria praised the science-based approach proposed by the NTB Provincial Government. “This is the advantage of having a visionary governor,” Arif said, warmly welcoming the proposal.
BRIN responded positively to the proposal and has scheduled concrete follow-up actions for July to mature the programme’s execution in the field.
Beyond focusing on clean water provision, Governor Iqbal also brought an economic mission aimed at boosting the welfare of local fishermen. He explained that NTB possesses significant natural potential in the fisheries industry sector. The NTB Provincial Government hopes BRIN will provide research support for the development of high-value reef fish aquaculture. If this research is successfully implemented, reef fish commodities from NTB are projected to penetrate export markets and become a new source of income for the region.
This synergy between science and regional policy is expected to be a game changer for NTB’s future, both in overcoming drought and in optimising marine potential into a high-value industry.