101 East

Indonesia’s water woes

The country’s rivers are polluted and clogged by decades of urbanisation and poor planning.

Indonesia is home to some of the world’s dirtiest rivers, polluted by decades of domestic and industrial waste.

Every day untreated sewage and industrial waste are dumped directly into Jakarta’s waterways.

Without access to clean water, many people wash, cook and drink from these polluted rivers and canals and up to 50,000 people die prematurely every year from poor sanitation.

Now, a $500mn clean-up plan promises to give Indonesia’s rivers a new lease of life.

But there are concerns that endemic corruption and mismanagement will get in the way.

This week on 101 East we ask: Can Indonesia save its rivers?

To discuss this, 101 East presenter Fauziah Ibrahim is joined by Donny Azdan, the director of the water and irrigation directorate of the National Development Planning Agency, Thomas Panella, a senior water resources management specialist for the Asian Development Bank, and Arimbi Heroepoetri, an environmental activist.

This 101 East episode airs from Thursday, August 5, 2010 at the following times GMT: Thursday: 1230; Friday: 0300; Saturday: 0530, 1730; Sunday: 1130; Monday: 0030; Tuesday: 0600, 1430; Wednesday: 0830; Thursday: 0630