Due to the increase in demand for fresh water as a result of population pressure in several regions in recent years, central and local governments in Indonesia have been examining options for alternative water supply. Amid the changing climate, the search for water for agriculture and household consumption is crucial.

Therefore, governments should ensure a diversified water mix for the next 20-50 years in anticipation of demographic pressure and climate change.

Some semi-arid regions in the world may have already experienced an increase in temperature from 1 to 2o C. It is likely that water loss will increase due to high evaporation rates of existing dams. Water loss due to evapotranspiration from plants and crops may also surge. Plants and crops may face a test that exceeds their biological ability to adapt.

Climate change consequences can be serious. Failure to adapt to climate change may lead to multiple problems, including threats to human security. “Eco-catastrophists” thus predict a dystopian future in which water conflicts proliferate.

… The writer is a research fellow at the Center for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.