2 - Changes in Indonesia urban water management in the 1900-1990s

Water is the main prerequisite for the sustainability of cities in the world. As cities develop and become more complex, water becomes one of the priorities that must be managed well. Water management in Indonesia began during the colonial era. Especially for cities located at river estuaries such as Batavia and Surabaya, water management starts with rivers, which were initially used for the most basic needs, such as bathing, washing, and agricultural irrigation on the outskirts of the city, as well as a source of groundwater for basic needs, in settlements. In this period, rivers were positioned as the primary source of life. A change in water management occurred at the beginning of the 20th century when city governments looked for water sources that could be channelled directly to homes. A drinking water network was built and could be accessed directly by individuals so that households no longer depended on the rivers. These changes in water management had a significant impact on the way city governments and communities managed water as a whole. Rivers were no longer considered a source of clean water that must be well cared for because they believed that the need for clean water had been replaced by water flowing in the pipes managed by the government. The community was slowly changing the rivers from being a source of clean water for daily needs to a place to dispose of all kinds of dirt. All rivers flowed with dirty and smelly water.