Helping Indonesians improve access to clean water

About 3,000 households in Karawang, West Java now have access to clean water thanks to support from Australia.

Karawang is one of 35 districts in Indonesia that has received a grant to install new water connections for their community. Australia is working closely with the Indonesian Government to distribute this grant.

AusAID Representative, Helen McFarlane, today travelled to Karawang to visit houses that now have access to cleaner water.

Ms McFarlane said she was pleased to see the progress on the ground, especially since the grant agreement with the districts was signed last June.

“About 20,000 people in Karawang now have access to cleaner water. This will help improve their health and quality of life,” Mrs McFarlane said. “Australia is proud to be working with Indonesia to improve access to clean water.”

The grant is part of Australia’s A$25 million commitment to Indonesia to increase access to piped water for poor urban communities and expand household sewerage connections.

This support will give about 60,000 households across Indonesia new connections to piped water and up to 10,000 households with sewerage connections. This means about 420,000 Indonesians will have access to cleaner water and better sanitation, helping people stay healthier and more productive.

Less than 20 per cent of Indonesia’s population currently has access to piped water, while only 11 cities have sewerage systems.

More cities and districts in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara and Sulawesi will benefit from Australia’s new water and sanitation initiative. Australia is helping these local governments to manage community water supply and sanitation programs to ensure gains in access are sustainable.

Australia is committed to helping Indonesia achieve the Millennium Development Goal to halve the number of people living without access to clean drinking water.

Media Enquiries:
Mia Salim, AusAID Public Affairs (021) 2550 5490 / 0812 107 0237